


December Fairytale

by RoseDelSol



Category: One Piece
Genre: Christmas fic, Drum is a hospital, High-school au, I never wanted that many OCs in this story, M/M, Marco is a barkeeper, Rayleigh has a gambling problem (off-screen), Rewritten & Reposted, Shakky owns a café called Logue Town, Slice of Life, The Raft is a bar, but we don't talk about the Raft, but you'll probably have to fight off Iva trying to be helpful, probably more characters to be added, so is the Thousand Sunny, the Moby Dick is a bar/ club, the Momoiro is a clothes store out of a wet dream, the Oro Jackson is a queer bar, the Red Force is a gay club, the muse ran away with the idea, you'll find anything there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-02-09 04:19:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 43
Words: 87,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12880044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseDelSol/pseuds/RoseDelSol
Summary: The day they met, really met, was a Thursday. December the first. Kid had been in Law’s class for several months, but only on that ice-cold day they truly met. What followed was a roller-coaster of emotions throughout the entire month of December, and well into the new year.(Rewritten, and reposted from my fanfiction.net account)





	1. December 1 - The Day We Met

**Author's Note:**

> I originally published this story on fanfiction.net in 2011. That year, December 1st was a Thursday. When I started sorting through my old stories recently, I reread part of this story and well… I figured I could rewrite it, make it a bit better. It’s a rather simple story, but it’s very dear to me.  
> Upload schedule: Daily, between 10 and 11pm CET, throughout December, but starting on November 30th, because that’s actually a Thursday. So, while the dates will be slightly off, the weekdays will match.
> 
> The POV will alternate between Law’s and Kid’s per chapter/ day. Starting out is Law, and he’s got quite the curveball coming for him!

_Law’s POV_

 

The day we met, really met, was a Thursday; December the first. He's been in my class for several months, but only on that ice-cold day we truly met. It’s funny how sometimes you can share up to eight hours a day in the same room and never really cross paths. Our casual non-acquaintance was about to change on this cold winter morning.

 

I had decided that the Chemistry lesson was utterly useless today and figured that one more hour of sleep would do me good. I was never sleeping enough, so this one hour wouldn’t really make all that much of a difference. It just sounded nice in case anyone bothered to ask. They never did. I mostly only missed the first lesson of a day, and the teachers didn’t bother me about it so long as my grades were steady. And I always made sure to keep them that way.

So on this cold December morning, I was standing in front of the school building, distinctively too late for the first lesson, leaning against a pillar by the entrance, and just about to light my cigarette when _he_ stumbled onto the schoolhouse area: Eustass Kid, unmistakable by his flaming red hair, which always seemed to stand up in all directions.

If I hadn't known better, I would have said that he had overslept. His hair was a mess; his bag hung open from his shoulder, and he had apparently decided to forgo putting on a shirt. Please remember it was the first of December. What was wrong with this guy?

But the thing was, I knew better. The boy, young man rather, had in no way or form overslept. He had just decided that getting to school in time was something below his all mighty existence. While I generally only skipped the first lesson or subject of a day, he came and left as he bloody well pleased.

Snorting at the thought, I leaned back against my pillar and took a long drag from my cigarette, looking at him. We never had a lot of contact, partially since he was absent more often than not, partially because… I didn’t quite know the reason. I guessed we just kind of missed our chance to get to know each other when he joined the class, and never really bother to change that afterwards. He was more of a loner type, loud-mouthed, borderline hostile, and always just this side of too arrogant for anyone to stick around him for more than a few minutes.

But apparently on this day, something was different. By some weird coincident or play of destiny, we were both ditching the chemistry lesson, and crossed paths in front of the school building. I let my gaze wander over his misplaced appearance once more and met his gaze.

A small smirk crossed my features and was returned with a broad grin. "I guess it's no use asking _you_  what we had in Chemistry today." His comment made me chuckle and his grin widened a little more. I shook my head and then pointed wordlessly at his bag. He looked at it and immediately began cursing. I didn’t quite catch the individual words, but reckoned that they would have made any hard-boiled sailor blush furiously.

When he had apparently found that all his important belongings (chewing gums, phone, wallet…) were still in the bag he took the last few steps to the entrance and up the stairs. Coming to a halt beside me he met my gaze once more. I raised an eyebrow at him. What was the guy up to? We had hardly spoken more than two sentences within the last months, so I guessed that he wouldn't be up for small talk. He was never up for small talk. What else then?

Shaking his head slightly, the other focused his gaze on the cigarette I kept squeezed between my lips. "That's not particularly healthy." A low laugh escaped me at that. I looked at him with as neutral a face as I could manage and retorted: "Since you seem to be an expert, am I to reckon walking around shirtless in December _is_ healthy then?"

"Sure."

At that point we both burst out laughing. The whole situation was just too surreal. Where we should have been awkward we simply got along, bantering back and forth like it was all we ever did. I think it was that day that we realized we could get along perfectly well if we could just bother long enough to try. But because we never talked, we hadn’t ever realised.

The bell announcing the end of the Chemistry lesson blared through the sound of our laughter, and we decided to head inside. It wasn’t as if either of us were interested in whatever the subject of the next lesson was. But since we were already there, we could just as well join the rest of the class.

 

Entering the classroom, I expected the strange feeling of understanding and companionship to vanish, and us to settle in our old desks, the odd episode soon to be forgotten. I was promptly proven wrong when I took a seat in the last row, and Kid simply dropped into the chair beside me, making himself right at home. Leaning back in his seat he didn’t even bother taking out his book to at least pretend paying attention. I smirked at that.

Since we hadn’t needed to walk halfway through the school to get here, we were the first ones in the classroom. Math was held in a room close to the entrance and Chemistry was up on the fourth floor in one of the labs. The class' standard joke was that they kept Mathematics in this particular room to torture the students with the knowledge of how  _close_  they were to freedom. I fully supported that idea.

One by one, our classmates trickled in, some of them staring at us. Yes, I know, we hardly talk. No, we haven’t secretly been friends all this time. And no, we haven't really spoken much still. Kid smirked at me and I was sure his thoughts were going in a similar direction. I wondered whether I should be unsettled by the idea of sharing thoughts with him. How could two people just hit it off like that after basically ignoring each other’s existence for months?

I frowned and turned my attention to the teacher. Madam Tsuru, an old and haggard woman that somehow always reminded me of a bird, had just entered the classroom. Sighing lowly I reached into my bag and pulled out my course book. When I bent down to get my pencil case I realized that I forgot it at home. "Shit..." I murmured and sighed a little, straightening in my chair.

The next moment a pen landed on my book and I looked to my side. Kid gave me a broad grin and I smirked. Taking the pen, I turned my attention to the front. Tsuru had a habit of throwing chalk pieces through the classroom – with deadly aim and remarkable force – if you didn’t pay attention. Not keen on finding myself on the receiving end of her wrath and chalk-bullets, I focused on the material. Kid beside me still hadn’t moved, not even bothered to take out paper and pen. Cautiously, I moved my chair a little further from him. If Kid wanted a face full of chalk, he could be my guest, but I didn’t want to end up becoming collateral damage if Tsuru flipped.

 

Forty-five antagonising minutes later, Tsuru released us to our freedom. I handed the pen back to Kid, and began packing my bag. Accepting the pen, he gave be a questioning look. “I decided to ditch the rest of the morning. No classes in the afternoon, and it feels like a waste to spend my time in sports…”

Kid gave me a loop-sided grin in return, and shouldered his own bag. Apparently,  _he_  would go to the next courses, which was surprising enough. While both of us skipped lessons quite regularly, it was usually him who was absent more. The exception proves the rule, I guess.

"See you tomorrow, Law" Kid said, and was gone from the room. I couldn't prevent myself from staring at the spot he had just stood at a few moments ago.  _See you tomorrow?_  Since when were we seeing each other in school? Actually, no wait, since when did we even fucking talk?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s the first chapter. The chapters in this story were always quite short, and I’d like to keep it that way when rewriting it. Some extensions will be made of course, especially as I hope I did improve my writing at least a little since 2011! Still, while the original chapters never quite hit 1000 words, the rewritten ones will likely be at around 1500 words!  
> Kudos make a very happy author. Reviews are love!


	2. December 2 - In Time to School

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took some MAJOR rewriting. I’m quite happy with the result. Enjoy!

_Kid’s POV_

 

I heard my alarm going off, which was unusual. And I reacted, which was even more unusual. The apocalypse was probably just around the corner. It wasn’t like I had any interest in going to that stupid place called school, but I had to admit I was curious. Trafalgar Law hadn’t left my thoughts since the previous day, the pretty face always flittering in and out of my mind. I was curious what would happen after yesterday.

When I changed school, I had noticed the distant guy who always sat in the last row immediately. He had tan skin, hair that looked so soft I wanted to run my fingers through it just to see if it would also feel that way, and well, quite the pretty face. But that was as far as my connection to the guy went. I had acknowledged he was attractive and moved on. After my somewhat forced school change I had vowed to keep a low profile. I didn’t need to draw attention to myself by being caught staring at another guy. So I kept my distance from Trafalgar and pretty much everyone else, too annoyed with my own life to bother with anyone else.

And then December first happened, and I found myself curious about the one guy I would probably better keep my distance from. Unfortunately, I was incorrigibly curious, and rarely tended to do what I knew would probably be a sensible thing. Grunting, I forced my body out of the bed and staggered into the bathroom.

A quick shower later, I found myself standing in front of my wardrobe, toothbrush in my mouth, and sorting through my clothes. I had been freezing the previous day, so I figured I’d probably better wear a shirt today, lest I gave myself pneumonia. Law had been right about my attire being entirely unsuitable for the weather.

Law. I was back musing about the strange meeting, the weird understanding I shared with someone who, by all rights, was a stranger to me. What on earth was going on there? We never even had anything to do with each other, and then suddenly _boom_ , we bicker and banter as if we had been friends for decades.

Shaking my head, I pulled on my favourite coat and left the house. Just then I realised that not only would I make it for the first lesson, I would be fucking early. Grumbling I walked down the street, forgoing the bus in favour of delaying my arrival. Habitually I dug my hand into the pocket of my coat, looking for a cigarette before I remembered that I quit months ago.

My feet took me onto the school ground on their own accord, my mind wandering aimlessly. Deep in thoughts, I didn’t even see the man standing leaned against a pillar in front of the main door. He, in turn, must have been watching me, as he met my eyes with a small smirk when I finally looked up.

“Trafalgar Law.” As far as greetings went, I was almost proud of myself. I usually opened conversations with strangers with an insult of some description. Law raised an eyebrow at my absentmindedness and threw his cigarette away: “You’re early.”

I shrugged, coming to a halt a little distance from him. He laughed and stepped past me and into the building. Damn. I had hoped I could snatch a cigarette.

The odd connection from the previous day was still there, and I found myself wondering just what had caused it, whether there even was a cause at all, or if we had just missed the potential of a friendship by ignoring each other for months. Following Law into today’s society’s unofficial prison for the young, I sighed. The door slammed shut behind us with an ominous bang. Sometimes I thought the architects had started out planning this building as an actual prison, only half-way through realising that it was supposed to be a school and then never bothering to rework their design.

“Or maybe it just didn’t make a difference anyway…”, I muttered, casually ignoring the questioning look I got from Trafalgar. Unfazed by my ignoring him he walked ahead, leading the way from a grey corridor to a grey class room. I sighed, a sound that made Law smirk and look back at me. “Happy to go to our language class, Mister Eustass?”

I looked at the other, raising a hairless eyebrow. Excuse me, what? _Mister?_ Shaking my head slightly, I walked past Law and entered the room.

Immediately, all eyes were on me, and in turn I rolled mine. _Yes_ , I’m present for the first lesson, get over yourselves. Armageddon is not actually following at my heels, so no need to freak out. True, it was unheard of me to be showing my face for a morning lesson unless there was a test, but still. I flashed a broad smile, all teeth, and freaking them out some more. I had just surprised a whole classroom just by showing up. Wasn’t it enjoyable to see how easily you could rattle some people?

I made my way to the back of the room, dimly aware that Law was following me, and a little creeped out at how natural our companionship already felt. To distract myself from the riddle that was this building friendship, I turned to Trafalgar who had just dropped into a chair beside me. “Got your pens this time?”

Law just nodded, made himself comfortable in his seat by placing his feet on the desk, and leaning back in the chair. My confusion must have shown on my face, because he turned to me again, smirking: “I guess you can’t really know, given that you haven’t bothered with language for god knows how many weeks. We’re watching a movie.”

I briefly wondered why anyone thought watching a movie in language class of all things was a reasonable idea, but was interrupted by a shrill voice from my left. I turned my head to see who had interrupted the comfortable half-silence I had shared with Law, only to come face to face with an orange haired girl I had never seen in our class before.

“Indeed we're watching a movie, Trafalgar. And we are supposed to make notes!" The girl’s eyes seemed to glow, and I could have sworn I saw tiny flames leak from her mouth. I guess she could have been considered pretty, had she not tried her hand at imitating a dragon. Still didn’t explain who she was, though. Law to the rescue! “No worries Nami-ya. It’s all saved in here”, he said, tapping his temple lightly with a finger, and giving the girl – Nami – his best creeper grin.

Nami snorted at that, apparently unfazed by Law’s grin, and turned around to go talk with a blue haired girl I hadn’t seen before either. What the… Were we even in the right classroom? My confusion must once again have been visible on my face, because Law went on explaining: “We have joined classes on Friday mornings. Jesus, have you ever shown up for Friday morning?” I just shrugged. I couldn’t exactly remember, regardless of whether I had ever been there or not.

Law just smirked and turned his head to the door where the teacher had just appeared. Briefly, I wondered how it could be that I didn’t even remember the teacher, then I noticed the slight frown on Law’s face. Seemed like my skipping lessons was for once not to blame for my lack of knowledge.

I returned my focus on the teacher, taking in his strange appearance for the first time. He was wearing a mustard yellow pullover and similarly coloured slacks, as well as orange tinted sunglasses. Sunglasses, on a cloudy December morning. Why…

When the guy wrote his name at the blackboard I was momentarily distracted from his weird appearance. If you were called Borsalino you could technically also go and shoot yourself. Instead, this guy had apparently decided to make himself even more ridiculous than his name already suggested and dress the part.

Shortly after Borsalino’s introduction, the movie was started, and I found myself challenged with trying to say awake in the dim half-light. I quickly came to regret ever showing up for school in the first place today. Hidden by the darkened room I silently grabbed my bag and got up from my chair. The tricky part was getting out of the door unnoticed. The light from the hallway would surely shine in through the door once I opened it and tip off Borsalino to my plan. When I had reached the door, I cast a quick glance to the teacher, but he seemed engrossed in the movie and paid me no mind. When a series of flashes and bright lights flickered over the screen I took my chance and slipped from the room.

I had half-expected Law to follow but even after taking a quick breather outside the classroom and waiting a moment for him to show up, he didn’t appear. With a shrug I made my way out of the building and headed towards the river side.

 

I let my bag drop to the ground and sat down beside it. The grass was cold and made me shiver but I didn’t bother to move again. I felt strangely lonely, but couldn’t quite figure out why. I had gone so long without friends that a bit of loneliness shouldn’t faze me. Then again, since I ran into Law yesterday morning, everything had been a bit odd, so I wasn’t surprised that my refuge at the river felt off somehow, too.

Rubbing my temple I stared at the slowly flowing water. Friday. Best thing I could do on a Friday night was going and get smashed. I figured that a long night in a bar or at a club (and the resulting hangover) should cure me of the strange feeling that had slowly started to claw its way inside me since the previous morning.

 

As long as I didn’t run into Trafalgar, everything should be fine…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took some time to work out the finer details in Kid’s characterisation. When I reread the story I realised that I had kind of missed giving Kid a solid foundation to build up on. I’m still quite happy with the way I portrayed him in the original version, but it only really shows in the later chapters.  
> Rewriting this story was part of my NaNoWriMo to-do-list this year. I didn’t really have time to plan and write a novel, but figured I could use the time to clean up old fics and finally work on some story project I had planned for over a year now.  
> Kudos make a very happy author. Reviews are love!


	3. December 3 - Out For a Drink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess it hasn’t been made clear so far, but please let me be clear here that both Law and Kid (as well as anyone from their class) are of age. Legal drinking age in Switzerland is 18, so imagine them being maybe 19? It’s a bit old for high-school. They are in their last year, and could realistically be between 17 and 19. No underage drinking in this story, nope!

_Law’s POV_

 

I had spent the majority of my Friday evening reading and was now considering whether I should bother getting dressed and hit the clubs. I couldn’t really be arsed to get myself off the bed, but it was Saturday, and at my age going out on Saturday was kind of mandatory. Sure, at quarter past midnight people would still consider this Friday night, but I wasn’t going to bother with such factoids. Neither did I usually bother with dressing up when going out. I didn’t dance, and when I wasn’t looking for some one-night stand, my hoodie and usual jeans would do just fine.

 

I approached _The Moby Dick_ and was pleased to see Smoker, the bouncer currently on entrance duty, wave me in, forgoing the queue. When I first started going out during the night I had kept close to the main street and the popular bars and clubs there. Once I learned of the Moby Dick though, I quickly became a regular. The club was located in one of the more suburban parts of the city, a refuge for the more unsavoury characters of the club scene, while still being save. The place had a surprisingly decent Whiskey selection, something I learned to appreciate after puking in all colours of the rainbow more than once.

I sighed contently when I stepped through the door, but stopped short when my eyes fell on a shock of fiery red hair. Raising my eyebrow in scepticism, I strode over to the bar to get a drink. I was surprised to see Eustass Kid in this particular club. I would have thought he would stick to the main road, maybe dip into _Thousand Sunny_ , a popular bar with almost acceptable prices, or, if not that, then the polar opposite: _Kaido’s_.

Myself, I avoided _Kaido’s_ at all cost. They didn’t serve a single even half-decent Whiskey, the bouncers were crap, and the patrons treated the bar maids like shit. It was the place to go when you were looking for trouble, some sort of illegal substances, or both. I had gone there once, because the live shows were supposedly really nice, but didn’t even stick around for the first to start.

Additionally, I had taken Kid to be more bark than bite, and didn’t expect him to end up in my favourite club. Way to ruin my plan of a quite evening, especially as he was just about to feel up my favourite bar maid. The Moby Dick wasn’t a place for fragile women, guest or employee alike, but even here there were some rules. It was one of the reasons I liked the place so much. Loud and roaring drunk patrons were nothing the crew of the Moby Dick frowned upon. Touching the bar maids? Not acceptable.

I drowned the remainder of my Whiskey and began making my way over to where Kid sat in one of the booths built into the wall all around the dance floor. I was in no particular hurry, Paula is perfectly capable to take care of herself. On the other hand, Kid was being rather persistent, and one of the bouncers had already taken notice, watching the scene unfold warily.

“I think that’s enough now, Mister Eustass”, I shouted over the thrumming beat, taking hold of his arm and pulling it away from Paula. She gave me a grateful smile and hurried to get back to the bar and pick up a tray full of glasses.

Kid looked up at me, surprised: “Trafalgar Law, who would have guessed.” I just rolled my eyes and nodded into the direction of the bar. Once we got there, the blond barkeeper wordlessly handed me another Whiskey, a token of appreciation for my help. Kid grumbled a little when he realised that he would have to pay for his Bloody Mary. A fitting drink, I thought, given that it matched Kid’s Hair colour perfectly.

"You shouldn't touch the ladies here. You might get into trouble you will not know how to handle”, I advised, conscious of Marco's pissed glare.

“And that from a scrawny little kid like you…”, Kid replied with a snort. I gave him a tired smirk. As if. Neither me nor Kid were easy targets, no matter how fragile I looked, or how over-the-top his attitude was. The answering feral smile on Kid’s face confirmed my suspicion that he was quite aware of that fact, too.

“Funny thing is, I am aware that the staff here is off limits, Mister Eustass.” At this, I finally saw Marco’s shoulders relax a little, and felt a wave of relieve. Marco was very protective of the girls working in the _Moby Dick_ , treating them almost like sisters. Causing trouble in The _Moby Dick_ wasn’t worth it. The bouncers knew what they were doing, and Marco could beat up almost everyone. And then there was the owner.

I shuddered just thinking about the man only known as Whitebeard. I had only seen him once, when a particularly persistent asshole had slapped one of the bar maids, knocking an entire tray of drinks on the floor and over her. Before Marco had had a chance to get around the bar, or any bouncer made their way over to the scene, Whitebeard had appeared. To this day I couldn’t fathom how he knew something was up, he just did.

To describe the remains of the unlucky fool who dared lay hand on one of Whitebeard’s own as bloody pulp was as close to the truth as I could get. The image had given me a solid three weeks of nightmares.

Feeling Kid’s eyes on me, I turned to face him once again. He still grinned. “It seems our paths cross quite often lately.”

I just shrugged. The _Moby Dick_ was one of my favourite clubs, and had been for a while. “I would have taken you as more of a _Thousand Sunny_ type of guy.” A brief flash of disgust flickered over Kid’s face. Had I hit a nerve? I just smirked.

“Didn’t plan on running into any familiar faces today, otherwise I would have gone to _Kaido’s_ instead of coming here”, I continued, seemingly uninterested in Kid’s growing irritation. What can I say? I just like to rile people up.

"No one dares to go to _Kaido's_ for no good reason, boy. And you know that." I turned my face to Marco, grin widening. "I never said I had no good reason, have I?" The barkeeper just shook his head in silent acceptance of my apparent stupidity and handed a drink to another customer. We were both aware that I wouldn’t return to _Kaido’s_. Although it was clear that I could take care of myself, something about the place freaked me out big time.

Kid had watched our exchange with a bemused expression, absentmindedly stirring his Bloody Mary. I gave him a calculating look. “I haven’t seen you here before, and you didn’t look thrilled by the prospect of the Thousand Sunny. So where to you go to to get drunk on a Saturday night?”, I inquired, my interest piqued. Kid seemed like the kind of guy going out multiple times in one weekend, and yet I had never seen him in any of the bars and clubs around town. That only left _Kaido’s_. Technically there was also the _Red Force_ , but the place was on the outskirts of town, and it was a known gay bar. 

Instead on answering me, Kid just shrugged and ordered another Bloody Mary. With a nod towards my glass, he asked: “Want another one of those?” Shaking my head, I quickly checked the time, nope. I had to call it a night.

“I need to get up early-ish tomorrow. See you around, Kid”, I paused: “Or not, I guess.” With a smirk and a wave over my shoulder I began to weave my way through the crowd and out of the club into the cold night air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Load of rework here, too. But other than with the previous chapter, it was mearly extending the existing, not adding new content.  
> I also added a lot more clubs and bars than I originally included. And even if they may never feature in the story, there is a casino in the city, Rainbase, and a small, old, and hidden queer café-bar, called the Oro Jackson, which might make an appearance in later chapters. Roger being open to everyone, I imagine that a place named after his ship would be a safe haven for queer people.  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	4. December 4 - Coffee To Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I put in a lot of background and world-building in this one, and fleshed out Kids’s character a bit more  
> Enjoy!

_Kid’s POV_

 

When I woke up on Sunday afternoon, I had one of the worst hangovers I had had in a long while. I had returned to the _Moby Dick_ on Saturday evening, this time avoiding the barmaids. It wasn’t like I was really interested in them anyway… Only when I had gotten to the club and couldn’t find Law anywhere did I realise that I returned to see him again. And that was when I decided to get as drunk as I could possibly get away with.

Now, on the next morning, I dearly regretted that decision. The small stripe of sunlight that fell through the window was painful in my eyes, and every minute move of my head sent a wave of pain and nausea through me. I groaned and carefully dropped an arm over my eyes to block out the sun. Deep down I knew I was disappointed I hadn’t seen Law yesterday, a feeling I preferred not to analyse too closely.

Law and I hardly had anything in common. No, scratch that, we had nothing in common. Up until last week we had hardly ever spoken to each other, never gone to the same clubs, nothing. Of course, the reason Law had never seen me in _Moby Dick_ was simply that I preferred to go to _Red Force_. It was a hell load easier to land a one-night stand when you didn’t have to sort through all the straights first… And I sure as hell had never seen Trafalgar Law set foot into the only gay bar in town. If he had, he would have been the talk of the scene for weeks on end.

Yes, ok, I admit. I checked the guy out. I mean, have you seen him? He’s basically sex on long, slim legs, and I’m barely more than a teenager. Of course I check out hot guys! The skin-tight jeans didn’t help, either.

Shaking my head to get rid of the annoying thoughts – immediately regretting the action as soon as my hangover reminded me of its existence – I sat up in bed. Grabbing my jacket with my toes, I tried not to move my head more than absolutely necessary. The hangover was so bad, it didn’t matter whether I moved my head to the side or up and down, the pain was simply excruciating.

Slowly I made my way to the bathroom. I rummaged through the cupboard under the sink looking for my painkiller stock. It was high time I moved them all to my bedroom, so I could just stay in bed on days like this. Next, I climbed into the shower, still conscious of the headache raging ever on behind my eyes. The hot water was relaxing and for a few minutes I just stood there and let the drops drum softly on my back. I would wash my hair in five minutes. Just five minutes….

Half an hour later I woke from what must have been an open-eyed nap, finally washed the shampoo from my hair and got out of the shower. Rubbing my hair dry with towel I wandered into the kitchen. I turned on the coffee machine without looking, and searched for a clean cup while waiting for the familiar sound of the device heating up. Nothing happened. With a murderous look I turned to face the machine. But not even my I-will-kill-you-slowly-and-painfully look did anything to impress the damn thing. It had simply quit on me.

Could my day get any worse?

 

With a sigh that channelled all my inner frustration I left the flat. If I remembered correctly, there was a Starbucks right around the corner, open on Sundays.

Coffee was the only thing that could make the remainder of my day semi-endurable. Slamming the door to the apartment complex shut (bad idea, hello headache, almost forgot you’re there), I searched my pockets for cigarettes, before I remembered once again that I no longer had any. _Shit!_

By the time I reached the Starbucks my headache had gotten worse again, and I felt ready to kick a puppy just for a little caffeine to relieve me of the pain. I opened the door and found myself face to face with the last person I had wanted to see today. Despite the excruciating pain I briefly considered turning around. Maybe if I went home and back to bed I could simply start the day over. Maybe I could survive the day without coffee.

Law raised an eyebrow and gave me an amused little smirk. The green Starbucks apron wound tightly around his body, he leaned against the counter and apparently patiently waited for my next move. To win some time I let my eyes wander around the shop. Unfortunately, all Starbucks’ look pretty much the same, and this one didn’t even have any patrons at the moment. Resigning to whatever fate had in store for me – and measured by my day so far, I wasn’t in her good books right now – I walked over to the counter, forcing a smile on my face as I went.

“What would you like, then, Mister Eustass?”, Law asked when I reached him, and gave me what must have been his best customer service smile. Still trying, and failing, to deny who I clearly saw in front of me, I mumbled a reply. “Coffee.”

Law, the bastard, had the nerve to laugh. He grabbed a cup and got to work, all the while smiling like the world consisted of naught but rainbow-farting unicorns. I grit my teeth and waited.

After a short moment, Law handed over the cup to my greedy fingers. “This time it’s on the house. Just seeing the stupid look on your face when you walked in, is worth it.” I briefly considered punching him. I never look stupid, ever. Unfortunately, punching Trafalgar required fast movements, and I wasn’t entirely convinced my hung-over body would be able to cope with that just yet. And I really didn’t want to ruin that pretty face.

Had the comment come from anyone else, thought, I would have knocked their teeth in, hangover be damned. Law was just… I didn’t want to think about what Law was, if I’m honest. Carefully I took a first sip of my coffee, conscious of the hot liquid. The headache was by far enough pain for me, I didn’t need burnt lips and tongue to go with it.

When I left shortly after, Law gave me a cheerful smile that grated on my already frayed nerves. I had found that I didn’t appreciate customer-service-Law. He didn’t strike me as the casually friendly type, and I doubted my appearance and behaviour had warranted the overly cheerful goodbye.

Mumbling to myself, and cursing the fact that I quit smoking, I wandered the streets back towards my apartment. For some unknown reason me and Trafalgar had been running into each other all the time: school, _Moby Dick_ , now Starbucks… At least Law was hot, so I figured I could enjoy the view for as long as we kept crossing paths.

The strange sense of mutual understanding was still freaking me out a little. Normally, people tended to annoy me rather quickly, which was why I generally didn’t bother with getting friends. But Law had slipped into my life and thoughts as easily as if he belonged there.

He fit into my life like he had always _been there_. He filled a void I didn’t want to acknowledge had been there since… I shook my head. I didn’t want to think about _that_. And maybe I should put off my musing about Trafalgar for a day when I wasn’t horribly hung-over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have become rather fond of the idea of the Red Force being a gay bar. I mean... Shanks is as gay as they come, so it’s not much of a stretch is it?  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	5. December 5 - Monday Monday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun with this one!  
> Enjoy!

_Law’s POV_

 

Monday morning found me unprepared and in a really bad mood. Lying awake in my bed, staring at the celling I was thinking about Eustass Kid. How was it possible that suddenly my first though in the morning were about someone I hardly knew?

Sighing I got up and walked over to my wardrobe. Normally, I was a rational person, always trying to think things through excessively, but I felt that this time, all the thinking in the world wouldn’t help me. This was one of the things that only time could sort out. So I would wait, I wasn’t in a hurry.

Shooting a quick glance at my alarm clock, I realized that I indeed was in a hurry. “Damn…”

I grabbed a dark blue hoodie and ran downstairs, pushing my arms through the sleeves as I went. “I’m late, Mom. No time for breakfast! See you tonight!”, I shouted over my shoulder and was out of the door. Passing the letter box, I grabbed my cigarettes from their hiding place and began fingering one out of the package, lighting it once I was around the corner and on the way to the bus stop. My mother wasn’t particularly fond of the idea that her son may be smoking, so I just didn’t let her know.

Checking the time on my mobile, I breathed a sigh of relieve. I would make it in time to school, but only just so. I was fine with that. I saw no need to stay in the school longer than absolutely necessary. Maybe I should take a page from Kid’s book and just leave after the first lesson.

Sighing once more, I shook my head. Thinking about Eustass again. I had always wondered how he managed to skip so many classes without getting detention a single damn time. If he was a less noticeable person, I would have guessed the teachers had just forgotten how he looked like. I somehow doubted that anyone could forget Kid once they met him.

 

I passed the gate with a small smirk on my face, and walked up the stairs, completely oblivious to the confused stares of my classmates I gathered. I headed for the coffee machine, still deep in thought, laughing at the idea of anyone being able to forget Kid, and got myself a double espresso.

Only once I sat at my desk and took a first sip from the concoction did I realise what the hell I had just done. With a disgusted grunt I spit the coffee back into the cup. I knew better than to try drinking anything that came out of the school’s coffee machine; it tasted like someone cooked a bunch of old socks and tried making up for the taste by adding an excessive amount of sugar. I heard dark laughter from the door and looked up. There he stood, leaned against the door frame, in a skin tight black shirt and his trademark coat, reddish-brown eyes trained on me.

Kid walked over and dropped his bag beside me. “I thought you knew better than to try and drink this shit.” I just shrugged. Yes, I usually knew better, but to tell the truth – which I would never do out loud – I didn’t quite know what had gotten into me this morning.

Placing the full cup on the next best reachable shelf, I returned the smirk that was spreading on Kid’s face. “And how did you end up here today, for the first lesson no less?” He just shrugged, exactly what I had expected, and it made me laugh.

The teacher was babbling about something or another, while we sat in comfortable silence. After a moment, Kid murmured: “What are you doing today?” I smirked, not looking up from my notes. “You mean besides being stuck here for another six hours?” He nodded, humming in affirmation, writing down a formula the teacher was currently explaining. He wasn’t looking at me, but I kept watching him from the corner of my eyes.

“I need to work, why?” I saw Kid tense at my words, becoming uncomfortable. It was the first time something felt uncomfortable between us, and I had the sudden need to relieve him of it. Before I could say anything more, though, Kid spoke up again: “Thought we could go for a coffee… It’s a stupid idea. Just forget I ever said anything.”

Funnily enough, despite the uncomfortable silence that stretched between us now, Kid had managed to say out loud what I had been wondering about myself. I was curious about this peculiar friendship building up between us, and whatever it was couldn’t be figured out between lessons and whiskey in the _Moby Dick_. I kept my eyes fixed on the blackboard and my notes. “If it’s not today… I could do tomorrow; depending on the amount of homework we get.”

Now Kid looked over at me, a surprised expression on his face. I kept my eyes on my notes. “No need to be so surprised. I actually do the homework, especially so short before Christmas.” It was an excuse, a swift change in topic, to give Kid (and myself) a chance to get out of the rather embarrassing situation.

Kid smirked at my words, obviously realising that I had just given him an easy out. Satisfied with the outcome of our little half-discussion, we turned our attention on the teacher for the rest of the lesson, sitting side by side in comfortable silence once more.

 

During the break, I found myself walking through the corridors beside Kid, earning more confused glances from my fellow students. We still didn’t talk a lot, bur I reckon the combination of me and Kid side by side gave a rather unsettling picture.

Once again, I felt the inexplicable mutual understanding between us. I still couldn’t find a single similarity between us, but I was rather determined to figure out how we fit together. The fact that we preferred to stay silent rather than fill the silence with unnecessary chatter seemed like a good starting point to explain our connection.

 

After a long and exhausting day, we headed for the bus stop together. “You need to come my direction, right?”, Kid asked. I nodded at his question. Checking my watch, I found that I would have around an hour before my shift started. I grinned, earning a confused glance from Kid.

“I guess I’ll be able to make tomorrow’s coffee date. There’s enough time for homework before I need to start mixing coffee for all the little hipster girls in your area.” The broad smile that appeared on Kid’s face made me feel strangely light-headed; though I guessed that rather came from the fact that I hadn’t eaten anything for breakfast.

We parted ways in front of Starbucks. Kid mirrored my goodbye from the _Moby Dick_ , waving over his shoulder with a shouted _see you tomorrow_.

Robin, an archaeology student, who had the shift before mine gave me an amused, but puzzled look when I entered Starbucks. “What..?” She gave me a mysterious smile, slightly different from the one she usually wore when greeting customers, and I raised a questioning eyebrow, trying to get her to share whatever was on her mind.

I got myself a coffee and settled at a table close to the back of the store to go over my homework, while I waited for her to speak up. “You’re smiling as if you won the lottery, Law.” I gave her a confused look but picked up my mobile to check my own reflection. True enough, I stared at myself grinning like a fool. Robin was right. Now how did that happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like making Law notice things about Kid/ Kid’s appearance, without actually understanding what’s happening. Robin won’t play a huge role in this story, she just appears every once in a while, when Law takes over the shift from her. One Piece offers such a huge range of characters, it’s kind of fun to just sprinkle them into the story everywhere.  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	6. December 6 - Mommy Are They Dating?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to pick up!  
> Enjoy!

_Kid’s POV_

 

Finally, the day was over. I yawned and stretched, shooting a quick glance at Law, feeling an odd sensation settling in my guts. It felt vaguely familiar, and I shook my head violently in an attempt to dislocate the irritating feeling.

Nope, not doing that again. I stubbornly shoved the tingling to the back end of my mind and stomped out of the classroom, heading for the exit. I didn’t notice the odd look I received from Trafalgar for my behaviour as he followed me outside. As soon as we left the building he picked a cigarette from its package, lighting it and inhaled deeply.

I looked at the death stick longingly, before I threw my good intentions in the wind and snatched the cigarette from Law’s fingers. “Hey!”, he protested softly, but made no move to steal it back from me. I gave him a wide smirk and blew bluish-grey smoke into the cold air. Law gave a low chuckle, fishing for a new cigarette. “Don’t make it a habit. This shit’s too expensive for sharing.” “I don’t smoke”, I muttered between two drags, making Law laugh.

 

Law’s next words froze me in my steps, just outside the school gates. “So, where are we going?” I hadn’t wasted a single thought on that. When I blurted out the question asking Law out on a coffee yesterday – and didn’t that suspiciously sound like a date, a small voice in the back of my head whispered – I hadn’t planned any further. I hadn’t for a single second believed that he would accept, and so I was unprepared. In my haste to push any thoughts about Law from my mind as soon as they appeared, I forgot to consider where we could actually go.

Briefly I considered the _Oro Jackson_ , a secluded little café-bar some short ways from the main road, but discarded the idea almost immediately. The _Jackson_ was almost exclusively frequented by queers, and I didn’t feel comfortable tipping Law off about my sexuality. The last time I disclosed that particular information to anyone, it didn’t end well. I felt Law’s eyes on me, and took a calming breath. Think, Kid, _think_!

“There is a coffee shop that opened in the city centre recently. I planned to pay it a visit for some time now, but didn’t get around to it yet. If you didn’t have another idea, we could go there?” God, I could have kissed him (figuratively speaking, thank you). Saved by Trafalgar Law once more… “Sure. Lead the way”, I replied, careful not to let slip how grateful I was in that moment.

 

Flicking my cigarette away, I stepped into the bus behind Law, careful not to stare at his ass in those sinfully tight jeans, and took a seat opposite him.

We spent the next almost twenty minutes sitting in companionable silence. I forced my gaze out of the window, lost in thought. I felt far too comfortable around Law, given that I didn’t know the guy at all. After the disaster that was my last friendship – and no, I’m not thinking about that again, _fuck off_ brain – I had a hard time connecting to people. At some point after I switched schools I decided just not to bother with it anymore.

In the centre, Law led us to a small coffee shop at a corner street intersecting the main road. _Logue Town Café_ , I read on the sign, right before following Law through the door. The interior was a mix of cosy and classy, warm lighting inviting people to linger. The scent of coffee permeated the air and mixed with the enticing smell of home-made cake. Although Law had mentioned the café being relatively new it was packed with people, and I craned my neck looking for an empty table.

With a bit of luck, we managed to grab a seat in the back, Law sitting with his back to the wall, giving me a roguish smile. It looked like he was waiting for something, and my brain was working overtime, trying to figure out what it could be. I almost jumped out of my chair when the waitress shouted across the room. “Trafalgar Law! I wondered when you’d show your face here!” I raised an eyebrow at Law, but he just shrugged, the smile still in place.

The waitress, a tall woman with short dark hair approached our table, broad grin on her face, eyes focused on Law. “Long time no seen, Shakky. How’s old man Rayleigh?” The waitress laughed: “Oh, he’s as bad as always; gambling away the money faster than I can earn it. But you know it’s always been like this, so we’re fine.”

My jaw dropped at her open and easy way of talking about her partner? friend? having a serious gambling problem. Law didn’t even flinch though, so I had to assume that this was either Shakky’s way of handling her trouble, or that it was just because Law was here.

I felt a little out of place, given that these two obviously knew each other. But I couldn’t really be mad. I hadn’t considered a place to go to, so Law had been free to lead me here. I started fiddling with my mobile, while Law and Shakky exchanged the latest gossip about the man named Rayleigh. The name rang a bell somehow, but I couldn’t quite put my finger to it.

 

I startled when a cup and a plate with a slice of cake was placed in front of me. My face focused on Law’s grinning face. Shakky had already moved to the next table, cheerfully babbling with her customers.

I turned to Law: “Is she… Does she always…?” I couldn’t quite formulate what surprised me so much about the waitress, but it seemed Law understood me nevertheless. “She’s very open with me. I’ve known her for ages, and since you’re with me, you don’t count as stranger. Shakky’s been living with Rayleight for forever. He’s always had a gambling problem, and she’s always found a way to keep them above water.”

I hummed, and took a sip of my coffee. “And how did she know my order?” Now Law laughed: “She didn’t. I ordered while you were spacing out on us.” I gave him a sheepish grin, and took another sip to hide my embarrassment.

Just as I thought we could finally try to hold some form of conversation, maybe find out whether there was anything connecting us at all – apart from the fact that we go to the same school – a high-pitched voice broke through the hum of the café. “Mommy, are they dating?”

My eyes went wide, and I saw a small blush creep up on Law’s cheeks. Turning around, I focused a barely-concealed, murderous glare on a little girl, maybe four or five, her fingers sticky with chocolate and a lollipop stuck in her strawberry blond hair. I glared at her, no longer hiding my hatred. Instead of being frightened, the little devil smirked at me.

“Calm down, she probably doesn’t even know what she’s talking about.” Judged by the look on the demon spawn’s face, she knew exactly what she was talking about. I turned back to Law, who looked at me with an unimpressed frown. I didn’t like him looking at me like that. I grumbled a _sorry_ , and focused back on my coffee.

With a chuckle, Law dispersed the tension, turning our focus away from the little devil, and back to our not-yet-conversation. I was just about to speak up when Law took a sip from his cappuccino. When he set the cup down, a little foam stuck to the corner of his lips.

Without thinking, I reached out my hand, cupping the side of his face and brushing away the white with my thumb. Only when I became aware of Law’s slightly parted lips and confused gaze did realisation hit me, and I drew back my hand as if I had been burnt.

An uncomfortable silence stretched between us, Law staring intently into his half-empty mug. I desperately searched my brain for something, anything to say, but drew a blank. Usually it was Law who could save us from stupid embarrassment. Obviously he was too deep in thought to help out this time. In the end it was Shakky appearing at our table again that got us out of the situation. She talked about Rayleight’s latest favourite gambling hall, a new casino by the name of _Rainbase_. After recovering from his little shock, Law enquired about a girl with the nickname mermaid.

I listened to the two talking for the rest of our visit, and when Law and I finally parted ways at the bus stop, we were back to our comfortable companionship, even if I still didn’t know where it came from.

 

Later that day, when I was back home and starring out of the kitchen window, I still felt the warmth of his cheek under my hand. I cursed myself for letting my control slip. Law was ridiculously attractive, but getting a bit of a feel would not make up for losing the only chance I had at something like friendship in a long time.

I just hoped I could keep my head out of the gutter for long enough to remember my priorities from now on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I enjoyed rewriting this chapter. It used to be a pure crack chapter, but thanks to some more world-building, it now fits nicely with the rest. And of course making Kid uncomfortable is always fun.  
> When I started smoking, I had the same dumb habit as Kid, stealing cigarettes from my friends and pretending I didn’t actually smoke. I even used the same moronic line…  
> The I asked you out but didn’t actually think I’d succeed-trope is terribly old but I just love it!  
> Oh and the little strawberry blond monster is my version of a young Bonney (minus the crazy hair colour).  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	7. December 7 - Bad Dreaming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the next one. There is a bit of present-tense-narrative at the beginning, don’t get freaked out about it?  
> Enjoy!

_Law’s POV_

 

I put down the cup, my eyes meeting Kid’s across the table. I watch as he raises his hand, his palm coming to lay against my cheek, thumb stroking softly over the corner of my mouth.

Instinctively, I part my lips to lick at the place Kid just touched, checking for any foam he may have missed. Accidentally, I catch the tip of his thumb. Confusion flickers across my face, while his eyes are burning into mine. I swallow thickly, as he withdraws his hand. He leans over the table, voice low and raspy: “I think I missed some…”

He licks over my upper lip before claiming my mouth with his. For a few seconds I’m too shocked to do anything, then my instincts kick in, making me respond and deepen the kiss.

It’s rough, nothing soft or passionate or loving, and I find myself yearning for what is missing. Still, as far as kisses go, it’s pretty damn perfect, and I lose myself in the sensation of Kid’s warm lips and tongue against mine. He’s worrying my bottom lip between his teeth and all rational thought slips from my mind. Somewhere in the background I hear a strange beeping.

I try to get closer to Kid, but the table is still between us. The damn beeping just won’t stop. It’s distracting… Something familiar…

 

“My alarm…” I shot up into a sitting position, wide wake, heart racing while I searched the darkness of my room for something to fix my eyes and thoughts on. Something other than the dream. The dream…

Groaning I fell back into my pillows and stared up at the celling. Thanks to the early December morning it was pitch black in my room, and in the shadows Kid’s face flickered in front of my eyes, the way he looked at me in the _Logue Town Café_ yesterday. He wore a plain black, figure-hugging shirt under his coat, just like the other night in Moby Dick. Odd how a shirt could be more attractive than him walking around half-naked. “…Fuck!”, I needed to stop thinking about Kid like that; _immediately_!

I pushed myself up and got out of bed, heading for the shower. I had to make it in time for the first lesson today, as we had that stupid… Oh _fuck_. Well, maybe I would call in sick then. I had completely forgotten about the Biology test. I wanted to study the previous evening, but the afternoon in Logue Town had kept messing with my head even then. I was a natural in Biology, but to get into the top medicine curriculum I was aiming for, I’d need faultless grades in both Chemistry and Biology. Shit!

Slipping back into my pyjamas, which I had taken off only moments prior, I stumbled towards the kitchen. If I wanted to call in sick, I had to stay home. And to be able to stay home, I needed my mother to believe my being sick. Except she never believed me when I was faking illness, and wasn’t that just the perfect way to start my day.

 

As expected, my mother made a huge fuss about my supposed sickness, trying to convince me to go to school nevertheless. In the end, she gave in, but only because I hadn’t told her about the test. Had she been aware of that, it wouldn’t have made a difference whether I was sick or not, she would have forced me to go regardless.

Unfortunately, the fact that I had to stay home sick meant I’d have to stay home and _in bed_. It was one of those little Mom-Rules. If I was really sick, staying in bed wouldn’t matter, and if I happened to be faking it, I’d be punished for skipping school by being bored to death. Today, though, my mother’s rules proved to hold an additional level of cruelty. Being stuck in my room, I was bound to overthink my dream.

Lying in bed, I sighed and covered my eyes with my arm. Why did I dream about Kid? More importantly, how did I end up dreaming about kissing the guy? I hardly even knew him. And I had never… Jesus Christ, I was straight, goddamnit!

With a groan I got up and grabbed an anatomy book from the pile beside my night table and started reading. I should have been studying for Biology, but at that moment I just couldn’t be arsed. My head was filled with confusing thoughts and images and sensations, and I couldn’t bring myself to focus on school, especially because school was automatically linked to Kid. And I desperately didn’t want to think about him.

Absentmindedly I let my fingers brush over my lips. In my dream, Kid was a good kisser and I found myself wondering whether he really was. I licked my lips where his thumb had touched me yesterday, and again in my dream.

Then I let the heavy medicine book fall flat against my forehead. I needed to stop. Thinking. About. Him! Gritting my teeth, I put the book aside and decided to sleep, even if that meant running the risk of dreaming about Kid again. I rolled over, pushing the thought aside, and closed my eyes.

You didn’t dream about kissing someone out of fucking nothing. Only if you had feelings for that person, right? I suddenly felt sick. I didn’t have feelings for Kid. I couldn’t. “No. I don’t”, I murmured to myself.

I desperately tried to erase Kid from my mind. But once an idea appears, you cannot get rid of it again, especially not if you try to do so with all your might. It will be stuck in your head for what will feel like eternity, forever going round and round in your brain like a broken record, torturing you. It is physically and logically impossible to consciously _not_ think about something. The moment you may have actually forgotten about it, you would end up wondering what it had been you tried to forget, making you remember immediately.

 

Opening my eyes again, I focuses my eyes on one of my heaviest books and wondered if I could actually knock myself out with it. Maybe I should give it a try. My head was spinning from all the stupid thinking and I was dead tired. Sleeping sounded like the best idea at the moment, but I wasn't sure if I would manage.

My thoughts were just… I yawned. My thoughts were just spinning too much. Yes, much too much...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There wasn’t that much rewriting going on here, to be honest. I quite like this little, and rather unspectacular chapter. I feel it’s quite important for the story. It was a turning point in the first version, and it is a turning point in this version, too.  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	8. December 8 - Sitting, Waiting, Denying..?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even after rewriting it, I’m still not very happy with this chapter....  
> Enjoy, I guess?

_Kid’s POV_

 

I had been waiting for Law to show up. I would never admit it out loud, but I really had been waiting. I had even made it to the first lesson again. But Law never showed up. When the third lesson rolled around, I had started considering to skip the rest of the day. School was never any fun, but now that I had gotten used to spending time with Law, not having him there made everything worse. And hadn’t I gotten used to his presence ridiculously fast…

Once lunch time had rolled around, I had packed my bag and escaped the room. I didn’t care about the afternoon lessons. Both my parents and all my teachers had long given up hope I’d ever sit through an entire day of school anymore. At some point, my father had announced, that as long as I passed my finals, he just couldn’t be arsed to bother with my terrible habit of skipping. If, however, I flunked the finals, I would be kicked out of the flat they rented for me.

 

Since my father had remarried, most of my family lived in another town. And in the hope of getting me back on track, he had enrolled me in this school, got me a flat, and disappeared from my life. It didn’t bother me too much, my family was less than normal on a good day, so I was comfortable spending time away from them and only meeting for holidays and major birthdays.

I didn’t have any problems with school, I was quite bright, but I just never cared enough about high-school to bother. Plus, it was always better to play dumb. People tended to underestimate your capabilities, which made it simple to fool them if necessary.

Somehow, though, I didn’t think I managed to fool Law. He was pretty clever himself, and judged by the way he acted around me, he didn’t buy my being-stupid act.

 

When I found myself in front of school this day, I wondered whether Law would skip school again, but then I heard him calling my name. Turning my head, I saw Law walk past the gate. He had a broad grin on his face, and I was left wondering whether that was a good sign or not. I hadn’t forgotten my little mishap from the _Logue Town_.

Law took another few steps in my direction, then froze in his tracks, smile vanishing and being replaced by a dark frown. I waited, curious to find our as to what had brought on the sudden change in his mood. When Law got closer, I could make out a faint blush on his cheeks, before he stomped past me, ignoring me completely.

Well, that certainly answered whether I had overstepped in _Logue Town_. Even though everything had appeared to be fine when we had parted ways, it seemed Law had not really forgiven me for the little faux-pas. Damn…

Silently, I followed him into the building and to the first lesson. Yep, I had successfully made it to the first lesson for the fourth time in a row. Miracles indeed do happen. Or well, I was just getting a tiny bit obsessed with spending time with Law. Now it was my turn to frown. I needed to be careful. As amusing as it was to have a friend again, if I didn’t pay attention, I’d end up making the same goddamn mistake I made in the past. And wouldn’t that just be stellar? Law would certainly notice if something was out of the ordinary, that much was obvious by his behaviour today, and I didn’t feel like going through the same shitty mess again as I had a little more than a year ago. The mere idea made panic rise like bile in my throat.

Taking a calming breath, I entered the classroom. Law had taken up his usual seat, and was looking at me. The seat beside him was empty. I wanted to join him, really did, but my panic wouldn’t let me. I had become too obsessed, and if I wanted to avoid Law noticing, I really needed to get a grip. Sighing internally, I dropped into the first empty chair I passed.

Keeping my head down instead of turning around to check how Law had taken my actions wasn’t easy. Focusing on the lesson was even worse, but I somehow made it through to the lunch bell. I felt like skipping the afternoon again. Remembering a comment from Law about finals, I thought better of it. It would help if I had heard the material at least once, before I attempted to sit through the exam.

 

After a quick detour via the Mensa, my feet lead me to the front entrance. The cold winter air greeted me as I pushed open the door, and I was shivering in no time. Sitting down on the stone steps, I waited.

Only after I had lost all feeling in the tip of my nose did I realise what exactly I was waiting for, and I wanted to knock my head against the pillar beside me. Of course. Law smokes. Without conscious thought, I had made my way to a place I knew he would drop by before the afternoon lessons began. I was just about to get up and disappear into the classroom, before I made a complete fool out of myself, but of course Law chose that very moment to appear on the scene.

Giving me a surprised smirk, Law held out his cigarettes to me, and I gratefully picked one. Law held out his lighter do me, and next thing I knew, we were smoking side by side in a comfortable silence.

“What was wrong with you today?”, Law asked after a while. “Could ask you the same thing”, I replied, carefully trying to change the topic. Law snorted around his cigarette. “Fair enough.”

 

Needless to say, I returned to my usual seat beside Law for the afternoon lesson. It seemed that we didn’t need to say a lot to understand each other. I decided to just give up trying to analyse the situation as a whole, and take what I had been dealt. If Law wanted me around, I’d stick to his side as long as I was allowed.

The rest… Well, I’d deal with the eventual fallout when I got there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a lot to say here. It’s a relatively short chapter, and I think I tried to cram too much content in too few words.... Despite the rewrite, I’m not fully satisfied with how this turned out. Let me know what you think?  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	9. December 9 - Vivi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of my favourite chapters. Together with the next one.  
> Enjoy!

_Law’s POV_

 

Friday was hell… I didn’t know when exactly it started, probably even the day before. After I had dreamed of Kid for the first time, it proved difficult to meet his eyes in school. It didn’t help that the dream repeated the next night.

I had managed to keep up my disinterested facade during most of Thursday and the entire school day today. I was out on the corridor, walking towards the exit with the intention of leaving school and Kid behind for the weekend. Maybe if I could just keep my distance for two days, I could get myself under control. I had almost reached the door when Kid caught up to me.

“I’ll see you tonight in the _Moby Dick_ , right?” Damn. I held my breath for a second, before I managed a nod, giving Kid what I hoped was a convincing smile. Then I fled, hastily rounding the corner in the opposite direction of the bus stop.

Leaning against a wall, I took a shuddering breath. I hadn’t planned on seeing Kid this weekend, hell I hadn’t even planned to go out that night. But since I just confirmed to the redhead that I’d be there, I didn’t leave myself a choice. Not going to the _Moby Dick_ tonight was out of question, for I was certain Kid would start asking about my odd behaviour otherwise.

I felt shaken. The dreams had led me to lose even more sleep than I usually gave up in favour of reading medicine books and I was exhausted. Despite my reluctance of going out that evening, I was rather looking forward do see Kid again. With trembling fingers I picked a cigarette from the half-empty packet I had only opened today morning. I was smoking too much. “Fuck…”

First the dreams, now my willingness to go out despite my initial plans. In my subconscious, I was beginning to understand what it all meant. I took another deep drag from my cigarette. It just couldn’t be!

 

Despite my denial, I took a little more care in choosing my clothes that evening. Not that I had particularly much to choose from, most of my wardrobe consisted of hoodies and tight jeans. And after all, I didn’t want to impress anyone tonight, did I?

I was nervous and because of that I was early at the _Moby Dick_. Marco gave me an odd look when I sat down at the bar and ordered my usual Whiskey. Yeah, I know I’m early. Stop reminding me.

Once I got my first drink in my hand I turned in my chair, my back against the bar, and looked around the room. The dancefloor was empty still, and only a few of the booths were occupied. I let my eye wander around the room, looking at the few guests. “Wait.. That can’t be.” My eyebrows shot up, and I turned back to Marco: “When did she get here?”

The blond turned to follow my eyes. “A few minutes before you. Never seen here before. Old flame?”, he asked with a smirk. I rolled my eyes at the comment. Marco had seen me leave with quite a few girls over the months I had been a regular customer in the _Moby Dick,_ so I reckon it wasn’t a surprise he would ask whether the girl with the blue coloured hair was one of my conquests.

“I know her from school. Didn’t expect her to show up in a place like this. She’s more of a main road dweller. Last I saw her she was a regular at the _Baratie_.” This earned a snort from Marco. The _Baratie_ was a nice enough place, but their clientele didn’t exactly mix with that of the _Moby Dick_.

“I hope she’ll be ok. She doesn’t look like she could deal with most of your regulars”, I called over my shoulder. No one would let the guys bother a girl like Vivi, but she might find her delicate senses insulted by the behaviour which was acceptable around here, but wouldn’t be seen that way in most other places.

As so often lately, my thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a certain redhead. Kid was wearing his usual coat and once again a tight fitting black shirt. He gave me a broad grin, a mischievous gleam in his eyes, as he was strolling over to the bar. I couldn’t help the thought of _hot damn_ crossing my mind, but pushed it aside quickly.

While Kid ordered a drink, Vivi made her way over to us. She completely ignored Kid, even though she had to almost sit in his lap to stand in front of me. I raised an eyebrow at her, chancing a quick glance over her shoulder to Kid. He gave me a shrug, while taking a sip of his Bloody Mary and leaning back a little in his chair to get more distance between himself and Vivi.

 

The club was quickly become packed and the beat picked up the pace. The first few couples had started dancing and I suddenly realised what Vivi was doing here. She looked at me with a small smile, placing her hand on my arm. Before she could even open her mouth, I cut in: “I don’t dance. Don’t even bother asking.”

It was a little white lie. I did dance, but only with girls I intended to go home with. And Vivi – or any girl from my school for that matter – was not a girl I would take home. Ever. Unfortunately, it seemed that my message didn’t quite reach her. “Come on. Just one song, please? Pretty, pretty please?”

She was already whining, and the sound grated on my nerves. Helplessly, I looked over to Kid, but he had started a conversation with Marco about some strange drink I had never heard of and ignored me completely. With a sigh I got to my feet and followed Vivi to the dancefloor. The song was just changing to a slower tune – Fortune must have been holding a grunge against me – and the girl was giving me a wide, sweet smile. Under different circumstances, I might have thought her pretty, but my head was still so full of thoughts about Kid, that I couldn’t concentrate properly on the feeling of her curves under my hands.

The song was pleasant enough, but I just wasn’t feeling it. Vivi was a nice girl, easy on the eye. But I didn’t do girls I knew. I moved with her to the beat, my head lost in thoughts wondering how it would be to dance with Kid instead. I pulled the girl in my arms a little closer, trying to erase the thoughts from my mind.

Unfortunately, it seemed that Vivi took my move as encouragement to turn in my arms, and was suddenly _too_ close. The song was about to end, so I figured I could endure this for a few more seconds, before I got back to the bar and my Whiskey supply. Of course Vivi had to use these little moments to up her game some more, using her hands on my shoulder to push herself up and kiss me.

We were still in the middle of the dance floor, the other couples moving around us as the next song started, but I was frozen in my spot, hands still resting on her hips. Vivi’s lips were soft and tasted of some fruity concoction that she must have been drinking earlier. I was glad to find that she didn’t try to deepen the kiss. In my dream, Kid had kissed a lot better.

The thought had crossed my mind before I could stop it, and I found myself comparing the feeling of Vivi in my arms to that of dream-Kid. She felt too fragile, tasted too sweet. I didn’t even want to kiss her.

The moment my brain caught up with the situation, I lost all contact to the girl in my arms. Opening my eyes I stared up at the angry face of Eustass Kid. I tilted my head, meeting his gaze. He looked shaken, his jaw working furiously, as if he was choking on words he didn’t dare say. I untangled myself from a confused and shocked Vivi, grabbed Kid’s arm and dragged him back to the bar.

Marco gave us a brief look and placed two glasses in front of us. I got my regular Whiskey, but Kid’s glass seemed to contain an over-sized Vodka, straight. The redhead grabbed the glass and downed half of it in one go.

 

My watch showed midnight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a lot of rework in this one, mainly plot extension but no new elements added. The next chapter will continue right where this one left off, except from Kid’s point of view.  
> Cliffhangers are a bitch - at least you all only have to wait until tomorrow for the next chapter.  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	10. December 10 - Oldest Rule in the Book

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are picking up!  
> Enjoy!

_Kid’s POV_

 

Law’s watch showed midnight.

  
What on earth had I been thinking? Nothing probably. But when I saw Law kissing that blue haired girl, something in me snapped. I should have paid more attention to her when she first stood in front of Law. I assumed she wanted to ask him for a dance, however as I had never seen him dance before, I didn’t think he’d take her up on the offer.

Cursing my lack of control, I downed the rest of the Vodka in one big gulp. Afterwards I stared into the glass with an absentminded expression. I had always known that I found Law attractive, but I had successfully pushed away any thoughts that may have indicated anything more. My insistence in brushing these feelings under the rug had ultimately lead to my slip in control.

I didn’t want these feelings. And I especially didn’t want to be jealous. Sighing lowly, I gave Marco a sign for a refill. I wondered how long it would take Law to start questioning me about my little outburst. I hoped I’d be drunk before he started.

 

“Thank you for saving me.” My head snapped up and over, and I stared at Law. _What?_

Law looked at me, something akin to shyness in his eyes. I raised an eyebrow, looking at him questioningly. “I hardly know her.”  I gave a weak smile in reply, trying to mask the wave of relieve washing over me. I needed more alcohol. I tipped my once again empty glass towards Marco when he looked in my direction the next time.

“Why did you agree to dance with her then?”, I asked. Ok, maybe I needed less alcohol. My mouth was already running without my brain’s consent. I saw Law hesitate, then shrug.

An almost comfortable silence settled between us, while we both nursed our drinks, the beat from the music barely loud enough to drown out my thoughts. I considered saying something, but before I could make up my mind as to what, the blue haired menace appeared once again, positioning herself between our chairs with her back to me, just like before. However, this time, she seemed rather upset.

I hid my smirk behind the rim of my glass, and watched Law’s expression. He didn’t seem too impressed with her reappearance. Ignoring the fuming girl in front of him, he locked his eyes with mine. “Save me again?”

The smirk I gave in return was all teeth, and I quickly emptied my glass. “Only see one option”, I explained. Law raised an eyebrow, but followed when I got up from my chair. “And what would that be, Mister Eustass?”

With a confidence I didn’t feel, I put my hand on the middle of his back, leading him away from the bar and straight back towards the dance floor. I felt it the moment he figured out my plan. His shoulders tensed, and he shot me a dark glare. “You can’t be serious. _I don’t dance!_ ” We had just reached the floor, and I turned around to face Law. “Didn’t look like it a few minutes ago, now, did it?”

Law gaped at me, but obediently followed me a few more steps towards the middle of the dance floor, as I walked backwards, my eyes never leaving his. I was very conscious of the fact that Vivi glared at me from the bar.

“That _will_ solve the lady problem for quite a while”, Law admitted, and wrapped his hands around my neck, surprising me. I chuckled and allowed myself to move just a little bit closer. Moving in time with the music, I felt how Law pressed a little closer to me than absolutely necessary, even considering our current situation, and quite a bit close than appropriate between two straight men.

With the alcohol burning through my blood, I dared to adjust my grip a little, moving against Law in a decidedly seductive way. He couldn’t know, but _I_ enjoyed dancing quite a bit, especially when my partner was that hot. If the guys in the Red Force could have seen me… And if Law asked about my moves tomorrow, I’d just blame it on the vodka.

The music changed, and I felt my confidence slip. That was definitely a love song, wrapped in a heavy beat, sure, but a love song nevertheless. Before I could move away and lead us back to the bar, Law had closed the distance between us, resting his head on my shoulder. Well, who would have guessed?

“Trafalgar… This might lead to some very stupid rumours, you realise that, right?” I felt him shrug, and supressed a fond smile. God, I was way too gone on this guy already. “If anyone asks, I was drunk. We made a bet. I’ll think of something.” It sounded like a good enough plan, I thought, but couldn’t help wondering how Law could be so comfortable in the arms of another man. How was he going to explain this to himself? Then again, I though, I probably shouldn’t be questioning my luck and just enjoy the sensation him in my arms.

I looked over to the bar and met Marco’s eyes. The barkeeper had a shit-eating grin on his face, but gave me a quick nod, letting me know that Vivi had left the club. I breathed a sigh of relieve. Now we only had to hope she was drunk enough not to remember why she didn’t stick around to kiss Law some more. A few more moments passed, and as the next song started we made our way back to the bar.

 

When I woke up the next morning, I had another beautiful hangover. Carefully I looked around, quickly realising that I wasn’t in my bed. Was that even my apartment?

Blinking blearily at the light coming in through from the room-high windows, I found that I was sleeping on the couch in my living room. “Why the…”, I muttered, my voice almost too loud to my own ears, but by now I was pretty used to that feeling.

Hearing a low chuckle, I sat up carefully. “Why are _you_ here?” Law held out a cup of coffee, grinning weakly. He looked about as hung over as I felt, his hair in disarray and the bags under his eyes even more prominent than usual. I carefully reached for the cup, breathing in the lovely scent before looking up at my guest (?) once more. “Explain, please.”

Law laughed, a raspy sound that made me feel all kinds of interesting things, and said: “Well… at the end of the night, when Marco kicked us out, you were completely smashed, so I brought you home, where you showed me your bedroom, insisting that I had to sleep here, because _I_ wouldn’t be able to get back home safely.” I gave him a disbelieving stare, not sure whether I should be embarrassed or impressed with myself. Sober-me would never have had the brains or balls to get Law to my flat, and into my bedroom. Pity I couldn’t remember a thing about it, though.

"Oh and because your bed looked so very comfortable I decided to indeed sleep here." At this, I finally relaxed, huffing a low laugh and nearly spilling the coffee over the couch and myself in the process. Law smiled. Picking up his own coffee, he took a seat beside me. "About yesterday..."

"Blame it on the alcohol" I quickly interrupted him, before the conversation had the chance to become awkward, and forced a smile onto my face: "And hey… it will solve the women issue for a while. If you are seriously interested in that blue haired girl though…" Law shuddered and shook his head, smirking at me. “Vivi? Absolutely not. I don’t date girls from school.” Oh and wasn’t that a damper to my otherwise good mood. Damn…

Checking his watch, Law got up again. "I need to go now. My shift starts in a few minutes and well… Guess I'll see you on Monday." I nodded numbly, watching him leave the apartment. Only once I was certain he had left, I let out a heavy sigh. "Shit…"

 

My memories of the previous night were hazy at best, but I did remember the dance. I snorted humourlessly. As if I could forget the feeling of Law’s warm body against me. Grasping for the pieces of my blurred memories, I allowed myself for the first time to admit how much I wanted Law. And not only that; I actually cared for him.

It was the oldest rule in the goddamn book. Don’t fall for a straight guy. And I had broken it. _Again_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just on a side note. I don’t dislike Vivi. But I tried to avoid OCs in this story, so one of the girls had to take the position, and since she’s already in the story... (she will return again in future chapters, too)  
> So Kid finally figured it out. It can only get better from here, right? There will be an explanation to the past Kid keeps referring to (and you’re not going to like it, I guess…)  
> Again, not too much rework. This was always one of the important parts in the plot, and it wouldn’t have made sense to change that.  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	11. December 11 - Coffee Shop Mishaps

_Law’s POV_

 

I should have known that the little dance wouldn’t pass my brain unnoticed. The night right after had been ok, but I reckoned that was mainly due to the amount of alcohol still in my blood. I had briefly considered going out again on Saturday night, but decided against it in the end. I had the early shift on Sunday morning, and in addition I wasn’t sure I could stomach having another run in with Kid.

And then the previous night, the dreams had returned with a vengeance.

 

Sunday morning found me standing behind the counter in Starbucks, only a few meters away from Eustass’ apartment. I should have been working, but was staring absently at the wall, lost in my own mind. Luckily there had been no customers so far, and I had ample time to enjoy my daydream.

I was pretty sure Kid didn’t remember as much from the evening as I did, though I couldn’t be sure how well he remembered the dance. It had been rather early in the evening, and judged by how much more alcohol Kid had consumed later, he couldn’t have been particularly drunk then. I felt a blush creep up my cheeks as I remembered just how close I had been dancing to Kid. And I still didn’t know what had lead me to do that in the first place…

To tell the truth, I wasn’t even sure whether I wanted to figure it out at all. I’ve never had that kind of interest in men, but knew well enough that Kid was smoking hot. That was pure objectivity there! The guy had a set of well-defined abs, which I had a very detailed idea off, since he walked around shirtless half the time. His face wasn’t conventionally attractive, but the piercing eyes and broad smile definitely had an appeal.

Shaking my head, I tried to focus on the here and now, only to disappear into my own head right again, when I remembered my dream from the previous night. The mere memory made me blush. This time, the dream hadn’t stopped with kissing. I remembered how dream-Kid had moved his fingers under my hoodie, stroking tenderly along my sides. In my dream, I had pressed closer to Kid, closer to the feeling of the man’s body hot against mine. I had deepened the kiss…

The doorbell kicked me back to reality, probably just in time before I developed an embarrassing little problem down south. I plastered a fake smile to my face, hoping the lingering blush wouldn’t be visible, and greeted my first customer of the day.

It took me a second to realise exactly who was standing in the coffee shop. “Oh... Good morning, Vivi.”

The blue haired woman strolled over to the counter, giving me a sweet smile. I didn’t trust her expression, remembering all too well how our last interaction had played out. I desperately wished Kid would appear on the scene to save me once again. Unfortunately, I didn’t have his number, so I couldn’t send him a text. It was probably too much to hope for him to simply having developed a sixth sense for when I got myself in trouble.

“Trafalgar Law.” Vivi’s voice was icy, so my gut feeling had been right. She was pissed. O-oh… I could see her take a breath and braced myself for whatever she was going to throw at me. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I raised an eyebrow. There was something wrong with me?

“First you kiss me, and then you’re all over that red-haired prick?” So that’s what this was about. I supressed an eye roll, and picked up a paper cup. “Latte, I guess, right Miss Nefeltari?”, I asked, fully prepared to let her verbal abuse wash over me and only react with my best customer service smile.

“I’m not here to drink coffee!” By now, Vivi’s voice was a high-pitched screech. I sighed. I had hoped my little dance with Kid had sorted out the issue with the blue haired girl. Ideally, she would also have forgotten about it. Alas, Fortuna didn’t seem to be smiling upon me these days. I scribbled her name on the cup before looking up at her again.

“Since it’s not coffee you came looking for here today, kindly tell me what you want. If you expect me to go out with you – forget it.” For a moment, Vivi gaped at me, at a loss of word. Sadly, the moment didn’t last long. “Are you… gay?” I let out a humourless laugh. I had wondered the same thing just today morning, when I woke up from the more elaborated dream about Kid.

“Matter of fact, I’m not. I just don’t date girls from school. And for the record: You kissed me.” She laughed at my reply. There was something cruel in the way she looked me up and down. “I’ve never seen a straight man dance like that with another guy!”, she accused, and I flinched inwardly. Neither had I, but she didn’t need to know that. She was a terrible gossip, and I’d rather the wider population in school didn’t hear about me and Kid.

“Welcome to my world, lovely. Maybe you should go out more, if your experience is so narrow.” With a smile I turned back to professional barista and asked: “Would you like that coffee now?” Vivi just gaped at me, turned on her heel and rushed from the shop. On her way out she nearly collided with the second customer of the day. Eustass Kid. Yes, Fortuna really hated me.

Uninvited, the images from my dream rose before my inner eye, but I forced them to the back of my mind. I dropped Vivi’s unused cup in the bin before leaning against the counter, and gave Kid a small smirk. “Looks like our little stunt didn’t quite work, huh?” My smirk deepened a little more. I let my eyes wander over Kid’s appearance, noticing the dark shadows under his eyes and the pale skin, even by his standards.

“You look like you had another long night. Coffee?” Kid just nodded. I wondered whether he had been to the _Moby Dick_ , or whether he went somewhere else. He must have had a different place he went to regularly, as I hadn’t seen him in the _Moby Dick_ previous to our run in two weeks ago. I wondered where that place was.

I watched Kid take off his coat and place it on one of the chairs closest to the bar. In fact, I was so absorbed in my observation that I messed up the simple steps to brew coffee. I had been working for Starbucks for almost a year, and was convinced I could prepare the perfect Latte in my sleep. Unfortunately, it turned out that I was a lot clumsier than usual when eighty percent of my brain capacity was being used for staring.

“Oh, fuck!” In my mindless state I had actually missed the cup and poured the scalding hot coffee over my fingers. Dropping the cup, where it shattered on the floor, I rushed over to the sink to run cold water over my burnt skin, all the while cursing at my heart’s content. I was really glad the shop was empty at the moment, as my current behaviour would never have classified as proper customer service.

While I was busy getting my burn cooled, Kid had gotten up and walked around the counter, starting to collect the shards of the cup I had dropped. I looked over to him, offering an embarrassed smile. “Don’t bother. I’ll clean it up in a moment, and then I’ll fix your coffee.”

Kid paid me no mind, dropping the shards into the bin before turning to me. Gently he pulled my hand from under the spray of cold water, inspecting the reddened skin. “You should probably get some ice for that. Sit down.” Too surprised by his actions, I let him lead me to the next chair. Meanwhile Kid grabbed a bag of ice from the fridge, returned to the table and wrapped it in my apron, before placing it on my hand.

“Guess I really need someone to protect me these days”, I mused, earning me a bright smile. “Against stalking girls or stupid accidents in your job?”

I laughed, hiding my face in my free hand. “Both, I guess.” The whole situation was embarrassing, though if I was honest, as long as I got Kid to take care of me, I wouldn’t complain. Even if my clumsiness was caused by the redhead being a rather tempting distraction…

 

Later, when I had recovered from my accident and actually managed to prepare Kid a coffee, we sat in comfortable silence in the empty Starbucks. Only when more customers appeared did Kid get up and leave.

“See you tomorrow, Law!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always put my foot in my mouth when I’m faced with someone I fancy. I was kind enough with Law to only make him a bit clumsy.  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	12. December 12 - Dear Perverted Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And off we are to another boring week in school..  
> Enjoy!

_Kid’s POV_

 

Monday mornings, oh how I love them…

 

Groaning I got up from my bed and walked over to the bathroom. Taking one look at the mirror I decided that making it to the first lesson was not worth having to walk around all day with bags under my eyes and returned to bed.

Additionally, thinking of school made me think of Trafalgar Law, which wasn’t helping my mood. I was too attached to the guy. I had gone to the _Red Force_ on Saturday, hoping to find some guy I could lose myself in for a night, but no one even came close to Law in looks; and even if they did, I constantly found myself comparing them to him.  So I had returned home early in the morning, frustrated and not nearly drunk enough. I pointedly didn’t think about why I had bothered going for coffee in Starbucks on Sunday morning.

With a frustrated sigh I tossed around in bed, unable to find a comfortable position anymore. This was getting ridiculous. I was thinking about Law every waking hour, and I didn’t even want to think about what my brain came up with during my sleep.

 

I made my way back to the shower, hoping against all hope that the hot water could distract me from my permanent musing. I leaned my head against the cold tile wall, thoughts wandering back to Law right away despite my best intentions. Since Friday night I couldn’t get the feeling of Law’s body against mine out of my head. Law was tall and lean, and if my tired brain didn’t play tricks on me, his frame fit against mine perfectly.

With a colourful curse I hastily got out of the shower. This was getting worse by the minute. Yes, I had a thing for Trafalgar Law, big time. But that was no reason for my body to go and develop a mind and life of its own. Unfortunately for me, no matter how hot Law was, or how right he felt pressed up against me on the dance floor, he preferred to kiss blue haired bitches.

 

Being gay was nothing new to me, but so far it hadn’t brought me any luck. The last guy I had a crush on had been my childhood friend. When I told him, he quite literally ran away from me.

It was what ultimately made me change school and stop bothering with friends; or crushes for that matter. It had been relatively easy to bear the loneliness once I changed schools, at least until I met Trafalgar fucking Law. A fragile looking, cocky man with raven black hair and a body to die for. And wouldn’t you know, he also had the brains to go with the looks. If only he weren’t straight.

He was hugging me tighter than absolutely necessary when we danced though, right, a tiny voice in the back of my head whispered, but I shut it down immediately. I couldn’t let myself get my hopes up. Hope was what always got you in the end, when reality caught up with you.

Checking my watch, I realised that I had not only missed the first lesson, but would also hardly make it in time to the third one. Did I really want to go to school today?

Law had been talking about finals. Maybe I really should go. I wasn’t planning to pursue a university degree, but I still needed to pass my finals, if for nothing else, then at least to keep my apartment.

Sighing I grabbed my bag and coat and left the flat. I needed a cigarette. Unfortunately, Law was currently my walking cigarette supply. The need to hit my head against the next brick wall was rising. I was becoming entirely too dependent on Law; and didn’t that just sound all kinds of wrong.

Turning around the last corner before the school gates, I sighed. Please, you stupid, stupid mind, don’t go crazy on me today, yes? Yes? Thank you…

 

I quickly found out that my mind had no intention of keeping itself in line, when the first thing my eyes landed on when I crossed the gate, was Law. He leaned against a pillar, and was just lighting a cigarette. Cheerfully, my mind conjured up a set of ideas I would rather not have thought about (all had something to do with lips, and some with sucking).

I desperately needed nicotine now, if I wanted to have a chance at making it through the day without doing something ridiculously stupid. Walking up to Law, my eyes zeroed in on the death stick, and I barely noticed that he was already holding the cigarette out to me.

“I thought you didn’t smoke, Mister Eustass?”, he inquired with a small smile, lighting another cigarette. I snorted. I could hardly tell him that his mere presence was freaking me out these days, right? Except my brain to mouth filter was apparently broken completely, because the next words that made it past my lips were: “It’s your bad influence.” Thankfully, Law just laughed.

When the bell rang, Law followed me down the grey corridors. “This place looks more boring by the day. Why are we here again?”, I called over my shoulder. Law’s answering smirk made my knees go weak. Right… That was the reason _I_ was here. “Not everyone can get away with skipping over fifty percent of the lessons and still pass their finals.”

I smiled a little sheepishly. “It’s not like you are here all the time, either.” His smirk deepened some more, and he just shrugged. “Still not as bad as you”, he said as he opened the classroom door. Taking our usual seats in the back of the room, we settled into a comfortable silence, only interrupted by the teacher’s monotonous words.

I watched Law from the corner of my eyes, writing down a few of the more important formulas. He had a concentrated look on his face, but didn’t look particularly happy. “Physics not your favourite topic?”, I asked in a low murmur. Law shook his head, a deep frown on his face, while he furiously punched numbers into his calculator. “Need help with it?”

“I’m not stupid”, Law snapped. “Never said you were. But I happen to be rather good in Physics, so…” I explained, trying to calm down the suddenly furious man beside me: “You could help me out with Chemistry in return. I suck at that.”

My comment made Law smile and he relaxed a little, although the frown was still stuck on his pretty face. “Tomorrow afternoon, in the _Logue Town_?” I hummed my affirmation, casually noting down the result of yet another equation, earning myself a dirty glare from Law. I just grinned.

I wasn’t sure whether it was a good idea to find more and more excuses to spend time with Law, but I just couldn’t help myself. Had my interest only been in the guy’s body, things would have been easy. Work off some steam in the _Red Force_ and be done with it. Unfortunately, I genuinely liked Law.

I supressed a sigh, and just hoped for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another one done. Next chapter – Of Homework and Other Problems – is one of my absolute favourites.  
> Both Law and Kid are aware of their attraction, so things are quickly going to go back to awkward. I just love torturing these two far too much!  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	13. December 13 - Of Homework and Other Problems

_Law’s POV_

 

I knew I had to do _something_ about my dreams (and thoughts). Things couldn’t go on like that. Although I looked forward to spending time with Kid, I also dreaded what the study session would do to my confused thoughts.

 

I sighed and looked at my empty cup. I had taken a little detour to drop into a Starbucks this morning. Most shops didn’t offer coffee to go, and if they did, it tasted almost as bad as the crap that came out of the school’s self-service machines. Apart from _Logue Town_ , Starbucks offered the best coffee around, and apart from the fact that Shakky unfortunately didn’t offer coffee to go her café was too far from school.

Beside me, a second cup of now cold coffee stood forlornly on the table. Kid hadn’t shown up for the first lesson. I didn’t want to think about why I bought the second cup in the first place; Kid never came to the first lesson. Well, he hadn’t until a couple of weeks ago, when him and I had first started spending time together.

Dropping my head on the desk, I sighed again. I considered emptying the second cup and rid myself of the glaring evidence of my own stupidity, when the door to the classroom opened. And there he was, Eustass Kid, in all his glory. When he spotted me at my usual desk, his eyes quickly landed on the cup and a greedy smile appeared on his face. “Please tell me that’s mine”, he said, as he took his seat beside me.

With a smirk, I pushed the cup a little closer to Kid, watching in amusement as he grabbed for the coffee immediately. “Sorry it’s cold. It was hot at the beginning of the first lesson”, I offered, to which he just laughed.

 

When the last bell finally sounded through the school, Kid gave me a wide grin. “So, _Logue Town_ , coffee, and homework, right?” I nodded, and packed my bag. My ever-helpful brain chose this very moment to remind me that exactly a week ago we had been sitting in Shakky’s café, and that after this afternoon, the dreams had started. I wasn’t sure why exactly that was relevant right now, but apparently my brain thought it was vital information.

Rolling my eyes at myself, I walked towards the exit and headed for the bus stop. I was lighting my cigarette with one hand, and held the packet out to Kid. Funny, only a few days ago I had told him he shouldn’t be stealing from me. Oh how the times have changed.

 

Just like a week ago, the _Logue Town_ was packed, and I had to fight my way through customers to the backend of the café, where Kid had secured us a relatively quiet spot. It was a feast hitherto unknown that I managed to reach the table without spilling our coffees. “I didn’t think it would be this full”, I grumbled: “Then again, Shakky has a way with customers, and she makes some of the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had.” Kid just laughed at my misery, the bastard.

Taking a seat beside him, I pulled out my books. “What’s first? Chemistry or Physics?”, Kid asked, wrapping pale fingers around his cup. “Chemistry. This was your idea, so you’ll suffer fist.” Kid’s face turned sour, but he gave a sigh of defeat, before reaching for his bag.

We made good progress on Chemistry, Kid was a clever guy and I didn’t need to repeat myself a dozen times for him to grasp the finer concepts. Almost too quickly, we finished all the homework, and I dreaded them coming to an end. It meant we would switch to Physics, and I highly doubted I’d be as good a student as Kid had been. Plus, I could think of so many better ways to pass our time.

Taking a deep breath to try controlling my wandering thoughts, I packed up the Chemistry book. Kid smirked: “Don’t look at me like that. You tortured me with Chemistry, now we go through Physics. And it’s not like I wouldn’t know better things to do with you…”

I stared at Kid over the rim of my cup, hoping to hide my blush. That sounded suspiciously like what had just been going through my mind. Kid raised an eyebrow, pointedly opening his Physics’ script.

Once more, I tried to reign in my wandering mind. Did Kid realise just how suggestive that had been? No, of course not. Just because I felt the very nearly irresistible urge to kiss him didn’t mean he felt the same. Hell, I didn’t even understand why I felt that way. I wasn’t gay!

“Are you even listening?” I flinched, coming back to reality when Kid waved a hand in front of my face. “Eh... yes?”, I tried to cover up my slip. Kid just laughed and poked me in the side. Rolling my eyes at him, I focused my eyes back on the formula he had tried to make me understand. “Law?”

I nodded, unable to speak as I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t say something stupid. Kid was leaning over to me, pointing out something in my notes, where I had made a mistake copying down the formula. No fucking surprise my calculations never added up.

Surprisingly enough Kid was a good teacher, and we made good progress on my Physics exercises. Nevertheless, the minutes stretched on painfully. I was acutely aware of how close Kid sat to me, the warmth of his body seeping into me, and warming me from the inside, making a faint blush settle permanently on my face. The longer the afternoon wore on, the more trouble I had focusing on the exercises.

At some point, Shakky found a minute to drop by our table and refill our cups. She gave me one her knowing grins, eyes sparkling in a way that made my stomach clench. What on earth did she see that I had overlooked? I had spent the last days over-analysing (and daydreaming about) this entire situation with Kid and didn’t come to any satisfying conclusion. Maybe I should return alone to the _Logue Town_ , and ask her. Or not. That grin was rather unsettling.

 

The afternoon had passed painfully slow, and far too quick at the same time, and I was relieved when we finally left the café behind. Waiting at the bus stop seemed to become the last big challenge of the day.

Kid had picked another cigarette from me and was waiting with me at the stop. From the centre we didn’t need to go the same direction, and I was glad when I saw my bus turning around the corner. I turned to Kid to say my goodbye but found him suddenly too close.

Kid flicked his cigarette away and bent closer. I raised an eyebrow, searching his face for a sign of what was going through his mind. “Kid?” The bus was nearly there. I spared a glance to the approaching vehicle, before looking back up at Kid. He had gotten closer still. The bus braked noisily.

And then Kid’s lips were on mine. My eyes widened, heartbeat speeding up. He tasted of cigarette smoke and a hint of coffee. The bus stopped, the hydraulic releasing with a loud _woosh_ as the doors opened. Kid was still kissing me.

Before I could react, before I had a chance to kiss back or push him back, or anything really, Kid pulled back and disappeared into the crowd. I looked around frantically, trying to catch a sign of Kid’s red hair but couldn’t find him anywhere.

 

What was wrong with Tuesdays? And having coffee in the _Logue Town_? They always messed with my head. I traced my lips with trembling fingers.

Just like in my dream, Kid really could kiss…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And. They. Kissed! Finally.  
> I love making Shakky all mysterious and all-knowing. I love her character in canon, so I couldn’t help making her part of this little story and giving her an important role.  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	14. December 14 - Where Are You

_Kid’s POV_

 

I was kicked from a nice little dream about Law, back into the cold and terrifying reality by my alarm clock.

Given my situation, I really didn’t want to go to school today, hell, I didn’t even want to get out of bed. All I wanted was huddle under my blanket and keep dreaming of a world where Law was still my friend, maybe even a little more.

Unfortunately, reality looked vastly different from my dream land. I had fucked up, big time. Not only had I kissed Law in what must have been out of the blue in his eyes, but I had also done it at a busy bus stop. It was so many shades of wrong, I had given up counting. I couldn’t excuse my behaviour. The only explanation I may have been able to give was that the afternoon had worn me down. The prolonged physical proximity had an almost intoxicating effect on me, and just like alcohol, had apparently worn down my self-control (and any good sense I may have had left).

 

Frustrated, I sat up in bed. I had to go to school. If there was even a slight chance that Law was there, I had to at least attempt explaining myself. I wasn’t quite sure what explanation I would offer, but at this point I couldn’t be sure Law would even listen to me, so I wasn’t all too concerned about that bit.

All I knew was that if I wanted to save our friendship, I’d have to put the cards on the table, and wasn’t that just wonderful. Being honest with Law wasn’t likely to save anything. I sighed. What other options did I have? None. All I knew is that I had enjoyed our studying session, probably a little too much, and that I didn’t want him to leave. I hadn’t wanted the afternoon to end.

 

My alarm went off for the second time. Irritated I swatted at it. Could have sworn I turned it off the first time around, but apparently I hit snooze instead. Making sure the alarm was fully turned off, I made my way over to the bathroom.

While I got myself ready for school, my thoughts wandered back to Law. I just hoped he would be in school and give me a chance to explain. He meant an awful lot to me, hesitant as I may have been to acknowledge it. I enjoyed his company and dry wit, and if I managed to coax a smirk or even a smile from him, it basically made my entire day. Jeez, I was goner.

I hadn’t let myself get comfortable around anyone in a long while. And as the idiot I am, I managed to fall hear over heels for the first guy that could cope with me. Dumbass, I thought to myself.

How could I ever look Law in the eyes again? I knew he wasn’t gay, he had made that rather clear with his off-hand comment about not dating girls from school. Him playing for both teams was unlikely as well, as these people always found their way to the _Oro Jackson_ or the _Red Force_ at some point. I sighed for the umpteenth time that morning.

A couple of minutes later, I grabbed my coat and left the flat for school. I needed to see Law.

It wasn’t just because I had to try fixing what I fucked up the previous day. It was also the simple fact that I had gotten used to having Law around. After only two weeks I suddenly couldn’t imagine being without him anymore.

 

I caught the bus, and anxiously sat in my seat, waiting for the vehicle to make its way across town. In the end I got out one station early and stopped at a little store. I had given up smoking months ago, but due to my bad habit of stealing cigarettes from Law I felt the nicotine withdrawal stronger than usual. And I just needed something to calm and distract me this morning.

Smoking, I walked the remaining distance to the school grounds, desperately hoping to see Law leaning against a pillar when I rounded the corner and passed the gate.

He wasn’t there. “Maybe he already went in…”, I muttered dejectedly. I didn’t really believe it. Law made it a point to stand outside smoking until the last moment, especially before the first lesson. Walking into the classroom proved my suspicion correct. No sign of Trafalgar.

With a bad feeling in my gut I settled in my chair, preparing myself to wait out the day, hoping against hope that Law would show up for one of the later lessons.

 

It was to no avail. Law didn’t come.

After a long and exhausting day of which I didn’t remember a thing afterwards, I was released from school. Not ready to go back home just yet, I headed for the river side, lighting a new cigarette as I went.

I sat down on the cold ground, shivering after only half a minute and chain-smoked myself through half a packet of cigarettes. I briefly wondered how long I would have to sit out here before caught a cold bad enough excusing staying home sick the rest of the week. Deep down I knew it would be to no avail, though. Running around shirtless for the majority of the year tended to make your immune system surprisingly resistant to something as minor as the flu. I rarely got sick, but once I caught anything, it was usually something pretty grave. Usually I’d end up in hospital with some rare disease or a broken bone (or two…).

I mused that I might get pneumonia if I sat at the river bank for the entire night. When I realised that I wouldn’t get a chance to see Law if I was chained to a hospital bed, I got up. It wasn’t as if I wanted to be sick. My gloomy thoughts just had a tendency to run for the morbid when I got into one of my moods.

I had to get home eventually. Homework was waiting, and part of it were still unsolved Chemistry exercises. I needed Law. God, I was being ridiculous.

Breaking down my problem to the root, it was obvious that I just plainly missed having Law by my side. With him even the most boring school day became bearable. Not having him around felt wrong. I didn’t know what to do with myself and my thought were constantly spinning.

Trafalgar had even managed the impossible: He gave me a reason to go to school for the first lessons. Although that had nothing to do with my interest in school, and all with Law just being genuinely good company.

 

If Law didn’t show up for school tomorrow, I’d go searching for him. I knew which bus he took, so I had an approximate idea where he lived. If I had to check every letter box to find his place, so be it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Kid… He’s really going in circles here. But he messed up, so he has to suffer, right?  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	15. December 15 - Me and my Dark Room

_Law’s POV_

 

I lay in my bed and stared the ceiling absent-mindedly. The events for Tuesday afternoon were spinning rounds in my head, images chasing each other. The moment Kid had come closer, the moment his eyelids had fluttered close. His lips on mine…

 

I groaned and placed an arm over my eyes. I had been going over the few seconds in a loop since the moment I lost sight of Kid on Tuesday. I had been so deep in thought, fingers running absentmindedly over my lips that I had nearly missed my stop. When I made it home, I had wandered to my bedroom in an almost dream-like state, mind preoccupied with the events, and hadn’t come out since, except to use the bathroom or get something to eat.

My mother was worried, it was the second time in two weeks that I stayed home stick, but she didn’t force me out of my room. I guessed with my permanently absent gaze and the alternating blush and paleness I looked ill enough to convince her something was off.

Unfortunately, after more than a day and two nights – during which I had hardly slept – I was no closer to solve the riddle that my situation had become. I wasn’t sure what was worse, that I had been dreaming about kissing Kid for the longest time, or that in the few hours of sleep I had gotten the last two nights, I was constantly reliving the scene from Tuesday although far more detailed and with a rather more enthusiastic response from my side.

After all the musing and the tossing and turning in my bed, I was no closer to finding an answer to the most burning question, though. What on earth should I do now?

Whenever my mind circled back to this question, I felt irritation rising in my guts. What the fuck had that prick of a flaming redhead been thinking kissing me like that? Why would he even do it; was it his idea of a joke? Because I sure as hell couldn’t laugh about it. Sure, even if it had been meant as a joke (which I didn’t really believe), Kid couldn’t have known about the identity crisis I was going through and so I couldn’t even realistically blame him for it.

 

The previous day, when my mother had left for work, I had tried to distract myself from my whirling mind by going for a walk. And hadn't that just worked out brilliantly!

Wandering aimlessly through the city, I had found myself walking along the river when I spotted Kid’s red hair in the distance. Given my thrice-cursed luck, I hadn’t even been particularly surprised by the fact that Kid was skipping lessons again. It had still been a bit of a shock that Fortuna apparently hated my so much, that I found myself in close vicinity to Kid when all I had been doing was wandering aimlessly through the city.

Instinctually, I had taken a few more steps towards Kid. The urge to sort out this whole shitty situation as soon as possible had been strong, but in the end I chickened out. Although I had come to like having Kid around me, I still had no fucking clue how to even broach the subject without sounding like a complete ass, and so I fled.

 

The little episode had taught me that wandering around the city wasn’t a good plan right about now. And so I had found myself in my room again, where I stayed up until this moment, staring at the ceiling and hating my life.

 

Sitting up, I grabbed for the cigarettes I kept hidden in my bedside table. My mother was out grocery shopping, so I could risk going to the balcony and have a quick smoke. As long as I changed my shirt afterwards and chewed on a mint she should be none the wiser.

Taking a little detour to the kitchen I got myself a coffee and headed for the living room and the balcony door. Lighting a cigarette before taking a sip of my rapidly cooling coffee, I leaned over the balustrade. On the street, people passed our building in various levels of hurry, none of them looking around. Except one…

I nearly chocked on my coffee when I spotted a certain redhead slowly wandering down the street, looking around frantically. Hastily, I took a step back and leaned against the wall to hide myself from view. What the hell was he even doing here?

I prayed to god that for once my luck would hold, and Kid wouldn’t find my apartment. But instead of passing our block as he had the previous ones, Kid slowed down and started reading the name plates on the letter boxes. Huh, seemed like he had a rough idea of where I lived, but didn’t know the exact house number. Crossing my fingers, I hoped that he would somehow, magically, overlook our name.

Kid suddenly stopping dead in his tracks made it obvious that once again my prayers had been left unanswered. An unsure smirk crossed Kids features, and he looked as if he was contemplating ringing the bell, just as my mother came around the corner. Kid flinched when she greeted him, exchanging a few words before hurriedly escaping the scene.

Only then, as the object of my distracted musing had disappeared did I realise that I was still standing on the balcony _smoking_. “Shit..!” Quickly I flicked the only half smoked cigarette over the balustrade and hastened to the kitchen. I could already hear my mother’s steps on the stairs.

I hastily cleaned the cup and sped over to my room. Remember I was supposed to stay in bed whenever I was sick? Yes? Exactly! I opened the window in my bedroom a little, at the same time trying to change my shirt and getting myself tangled in the long sleeves. Shoving the cigarette packet into a new hiding place, I got back into bed.

 

No sooner than I had pulled the blanket over myself did the door to my room open. My mother was giving me a worried look. I knew she didn’t believe me being sick, but the fact that I had been staying home for more than a day made her scepticism slowly turn into real worry. Usually, when I skipped school, I only stayed home for one day. But at the rate things were going, I was heading for a third sick day in a row this time. I offered her a weak smile.

 

The shock of seeing Kid’s so close to my place had left me pale and shaky. “Is there anything I can do to help you?”, my mother asked, true concern evident in her voice. I shook my head, hesitantly. Then I remembered that rather interesting book about cardiologic surgery (and the not so interesting one that was on my mandatory reading list for school). “Could you give me these two books?”, I asked and pointed at the heavy volumes sitting on my desk.

My mother gave me a small smile and got up to retrieve the book. Then she went on and dropped them both on my stomach without warning. “Mum! Are you trying to kill me?”, I exclaimed, but only got a shake of her head and a little smirk in return.

 

Usually, me and my mother got along quite well. Just some days (like when she thought I’m acting on being sick) we couldn’t quite get a proper agreement. It wasn’t bad, really. She’s my mother after all.

Smiling up at my mother, I reached for the medicine book in my lap. She still smirked. It was a sure sign she was up to something, but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what it might have been. My poor, Kid-infected brain refused to function properly, and I was still a bit rattled after seeing the guy so close to my home.

Internally shaking myself, I focused on the medical text. I would think some more about the Kid-Disaster tomorrow. I had no intention to go to school anyway, so I would have time. And once I managed to get that sorted out, I’d worry about what the hell my mother was scheming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My poor confused Law... I will sort this out for you, pinkie promise  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	16. December 16 - I Need You Here

_Kid’s POV_

 

When I got to school on Friday, Law wasn’t there. That simple fact got me so frustrated, I nearly turned on my heels and walked right out again, but thought better of it. I had no intention of spending an entire day sitting in my flat and staring at the wall (again). And while I listened to the teacher talking about something as unimportant as finals, I thought about the dark haired man missing beside me.

I had tried to find him the day before, I guessed I even did. But when I had finally located the right block his mother came around and I just couldn’t come up with a proper sentence or reason why I was there in the first place. How I knew the woman had been Law’s mother? Oh, there had been no doubt. Law was the spitting image of his mother, the same dark hair, golden eyes, and bronze skin. Though her hair was longer than Law’s and showed some first signs of grey, she looked just like an older, female version of him.

I could have said something, anything, come up with a reason why I was looking for Law, but when I met her eyes I couldn’t form the words.

Ok, I’ll admit it; I was just too fucking scared to invade Law’s home and potentially fucking this situation up more than I already had. Law meant an awful lot to me. Being around him was comfortable and made me feel at ease in a way I hadn’t been in a long time. That he’s hot was just added bonus at this point. He’s also my cigarette supply, and my personal coffee shop guide. I just needed him.

Sighing lowly I tried to focus on the teacher's words again, but didn’t manage. When the end of the lesson came closer, I had made up my mind. I would just skip the rest of the fucking day, try to work up the courage to go to Law’s place again, and fix this. I couldn’t concentrate on school anyway, so sitting around there was no use.

Packing my stuff, I was almost out of the room when the teacher called me back. Taking a deep breath and rolling my eyes before I turned around, I looked at Borsalino. Today he wore an ugly yellow suit and as always had a pair of sunglasses sat on his nose. “How can I help you, sir?”

He looked me over, taking in my red coat and skin tight black shirt. I raised an eyebrow. My taste in fashion was eccentric, but not to the level his was, and I briefly considered making a snide remark about it, when Borsalino finally spoke up. “I saw you were paying attention today.” My eyebrow rose a little higher. What was he on about?

“Could you please copy your notes and bring them over to Trafalgar Law’s place?” It was the perfect opportunity, the excuse I had been waiting for, but before I could even consider it, my mouth started on its own (certainly fuelled by the panic permanently residing in my stomach). “Absolutely not.”

Borsalino didn’t even dignify my answer with a look, instead electing to rummage through a pile of paper on his desk. In the end, he handed me a paper with Law’s address: “This wasn’t necessarily meant as a request. I know how many lessons you actually skip. I am not kicking up a storm about this for two reasons only: you haven’t missed any of my lessons yet, and your grades are surprisingly high despite your lack of attendance.”

I grit my teeth. Truth be told, it had only been a question of time before someone decided to use my semi-regular absence against me. I was skipping less and less, due to Law, but if anyone decided to take a closer look at my record, I could seriously land myself in trouble. “I will bring the stuff over, don’t worry. Have a nice weekend, sir.”

“I knew we could come to an agreement”, Borsalino said with a smile. God the guy gave me the creeps. I grabbed the paper with Law’s address and stormed out of the room.

Taking the next bus that would bring me close to Law’s place, I made my way across the city.

 

In the end I got out one stop early, walking the remaining distance in the hope to sort out my thoughts on the way. It was a futile exercise, I knew, but if I wanted to fix this mess, I had to at least make an attempt at organising my mind.

In the end, it was the cold that made my decision not linger too long in front of the building. The air was freezing and within no time my fingers and nose went numb. I shivered, standing in front of the letter boxes and looking up along the grey walls.

And there he stood on a balcony, smoking and quite obviously watching me. Taking a last (hopefully) calming breath, I pressed my finger to the door bell, never breaking eye contact with the other.

Law flicked the cigarette over the balustrade and disappeared into the building. For a second I worried that he wouldn’t let me in, then I heard the door buzzing and I rushed to push it open. The hallway was cool, but still significantly warmer than the frigid winter air, and smelled faintly of lemons.

“Come up, it’s the third floor”, Law called down the stairs. His voice sounded calm, but I reckoned that it could all be an act. With every step I took up the stairs I felt myself become more nervous. Law awaited me at the door, leaning against the frame. He looked tired, but not ill. Skipping school then. I felt my stomach clench at the realisation. Ditching meant he probably didn’t want to face me, and wasn’t that a wonderful idea to kick my already frayed nerves.

“What do you want?” He didn’t sound angry, just exhausted and maybe a little worried. “I’m delivering your homework”, I replied, digging around in my bag for the pile of notes and papers I had collected.

He nodded and stepped aside. “Close the door behind you. I’ll get you a coffee, you look cold.” By now I was sure he was only acting the cold façade, and I entered the apartment warily.

Slipping out of my shoes I put my bag down beside the door and followed Law to the kitchen. The smell of fresh coffee was spreading quickly and I took a deep breath. From the corner of my eye I saw a weak smile ghost over Law’s face.

“You’re not ill, are you?” He shrugged, the smile falling from his face: “I’ve got a headache from all the stupid thoughts spinning around in my head and I hardly slept, but besides I’d be ok to go to school, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Law turned around and leaned his hips against the counter, looking at me. His expression seemed relaxed, bored even, but I saw through it easily. He held himself too stiffly, shoulders tense, and there were hard lines around his eyes.

I sighed. “Law… I’m sorry, ok?” He flinched at this, and sent my mind reeling with it. Had I imagined a slight hint of hurt? I must have, that was just my wishful thinking talking.

“I… just don’t know what to think about it”, he elaborated, and my heart sored. That was a lot better than anything I had imagined. It took some effort to keep quiet, but since it had been me who cocked up, I let him lead the conversation. “Feel free to forget about it. It won’t happen again.”

Law seemed relieved, but again there appeared to be an additional edge to the look in his eyes. “I can be found in the _Moby Dick_ tomorrow”, I added: “Just if you care…” My voice was low, subdued by the stress and tension my kiss had created.

I emptied my cup and headed back to the door, Law following a few steps behind. “Thanks for the coffee. Hope you’ll get better soon. I’ll see you Monday latest!” Shutting the door behind me, I left the building with a heavy sigh. The little discussion went better than expected, but I couldn’t help the feeling of despair that was grabbing at me.

 

Waiting for the bus, I desperately tried to quell the little bud of hope that grew inside me. Law hadn’t hit me, hadn’t screamed, or demanded that I’ll never look at him again. And so my stubborn heart had taken the signs and run away with them, building a little castle around that tiny spark of hope.

Once Law made it abundantly clear that maybe (if I was lucky) he was still interested in a friendship but nothing more, that spark of hope would explode and rip my heart open and wound me deeply.

Getting on the bus, I heaved a deep sigh. Nothing I could do about that now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I promised it would get better for Law. It will. Just... not this chapter?  
> My poor Kid. I know you suffer. It will be fine. I couldn’t write a sad ending if I was paid for it, so don’t you worry my lovies.  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	17. December 17 - Dancing

_Law’s POV_

 

When Saturday night rolled around, I was staring at myself in the bathroom mirror, looking at what was a carefully selected outfit. Knowing Kid would be in the _Moby Dick_ tonight, I had put a lot of effort in my appearance. Somehow I wished I hadn’t, but I wouldn’t change again now.

Usually I didn’t wear anything special when going out; my hoodies were just fine. Tonight I had spent an almost embarrassingly amount of time ruffling through my wardrobe for an outfit. In the end, I had settled on a leather jacket to go with my jeans. The shirt I had unearthed from a forgotten corner was cut so tight it stretched across my chest (how was that even possible, I am _a guy!_ ). It had a wide neckline, leaving half my shoulders bare and I seriously wondered how it had even ended up in my wardrobe.

But for tonight, it would do. I looked nice enough, even if I didn’t want to think too closely about why I was even dressing up.

 

After Kid had left the previous evening, I had decided to just stop thinking about the whole mess and see where that got me. Evidently, overthinking hadn’t brought me anywhere and so I decided to just go with whatever felt right. Because if I was honest with myself, the kiss _had_ felt nice, and it _had_ felt right in some weird and foreign way.

Checking myself over in the mirror one last time, I left the bathroom and grabbed my wallet before making my way to the _Moby Dick_. It was already late and the place would be packed. I was just glad that Kid’s hair would help me make out the man in any crowd. The fiery red locks were like a beacon under the flickering neon light in the club.

 

As expected the place was full of people, and Marco had a hard time serving all the customer. It was getting close to midnight and I could see Izou getting ready to start supporting the other barkeeper.

I greeted Paula on my way past and headed straight for the bar, lest anyone got funny ideas about me dancing. Tonight I would stay glued to the bar. Well, maybe I’d agree to dance with Kid…

Apparently just thinking about him worked like a call and he appeared beside me before I even got the chance to order my first Whiskey. Damn he looked hot tonight. His coat stayed ever the same, but the tight fitting shirt was dark blue today. It highlighted his red-brown eyes in all the right ways, and I swallowed thickly.

Marco moved over to us, the first Whiskey and Bloody Mary already prepared. He gave me a crooked smirk, and I wondered whether he knew something I didn’t. Maybe he did. He was very observant and really, didn’t barkeepers always know and see more than anyone else?

 

Kid took a seat beside me and took a hold of his glass. He felt too far away on his chair, and I unconsciously leaned closer to his body. If the small and careful smile that tugged on Kid’s lips was anything to go by, he noticed.

“I didn’t expect you would come…” I just shrugged. He knew me too well. He had known I would be there. “You look good today.” I couldn’t help the small grin that spread over my face, or the blush that followed it. I chose to focus my eyes on my drink.

I took a big gulp of Whiskey, trying to get some liquid courage. The kiss hadn’t felt bad, and maybe I would have like to kiss him again. I was confused about my own reactions. And as long as I was confused, I apparently didn’t have enough alcohol in my system.

I ordered a new glass. I didn’t know what to do, and truth be told, the alcohol wasn’t helping. My second Whiskey was already gone. I had just raised my hand to grab for the next one that Marco had kindly put in front of me when Kid placed a hand on my arm. “Not too hasty. Trust me when I tell you, it won’t help.”

His warm fingers left a tingling sensation on my skin. I sighed and gave Kid a long look: “I’m just so confused.” The broad grin I earned for that made my stomach flutter in a not unpleasant way. Idiot…

“What?” The grin turned into a small smile as he said: “Confused is a damn lot better than what I expected.” And suddenly I smiled too.

We spent some moments sitting beside each other. It felt good, reclaiming the easy companionship we had shared since the beginning of the month. I had missed this. Over the last three days that I spent worrying my brains out in my bedroom, I had missed Kid's calm presence beside me. That was a good starting point, wasn’t it?

Suddenly Kid finished his Bloody Mary and got up. I turned my head, confusion probably evident on my face. Then I registered the petite blond that was standing beside us and looking expectantly at Kid. What was going on?

Kid tilted his head and looked at me: “Am I available for a dance?” I briefly wondered why he was asking me this. Then I remembered that he had saved me from an unwanted dance only a little over a week ago. I gave him a small smile, but shrugged. A shadow of disappointment flashed over Kid’s face. I swallowed thickly, and decided to just take a leap of faith. I couldn’t get more insecure about the whole thing anyway.

“Depends whether you’re planning to dance with me, I reckon.” I gave him a wide smirk, showing off a cockiness I didn’t really feel, but the smile that spread on Kid’s face was answer enough. For once, I seemed to have said the right thing. Ignoring the blond – she was actually quite cute – he grabbed my hand and lead me over to the dance floor.

 

“I have the odd feeling, I have danced with you before”, I said with a smirk as I moved closer to Kid to wrap my arms around his neck. I felt Kid’s laughter rumble through his chest. He pulled me closer still, moving to the music in slow sways, hands placed on my waist.

Leaning my head on his shoulder like I had the last time we danced, I sighed lowly. I felt good, comfortable in his arms. My smaller frame fitted perfect against him, like I was meant to be there. God, I sounded like a girl…

 

“The song’s about to end. Should we go back to the bar?” I shook my head, a motion almost lost against Kid’s shoulder. He laughed again, softer this time. “You won’t see me complaining, that’s for sure.” A warm shiver ran through me and I dared lift my head and look at Kid. He smiled. I raised an eyebrow, a confused look appearing on my face. His smile deepened just a little.

“You think that’s funny, huh?” I punched his shoulder lightly. Kid laughed and raised a hand from my hip, catching my wrist with it. He smoothed my loose fist, lacing his fingers with mine. His other hand pulled me closer, so much so I had to look up to meet his eyes. His breath ghosted over my face. Did he want to kiss me again? Did I want him to?

“Law I…”, Kid shuddered, taking a halting breath before continuing: “Please… can I kiss you?” My face was burning, but I still didn’t know the answer. Did I want him to kiss me again?

Kid retracted a little, a pained look in his eyes, but his voice was steady when he spoke again: “It’s ok. I won’t push you.” A smile blossomed to life on his face, and he said with a shrug: “Guy’s gotta try.” A giggle threatened to push past my lips, and I was torn between leaning up to meet his lips and hiding my blush in his shoulder. In the end, cowardice won out and I broke from his gaze, leaning my forehead against his collar bone.

Kid shifted against me, and I felt his lips brush over my head, as he placed a gentle kiss on my hair. Slowly I turned my head, chasing the feeling until his lips met my skin, brushing over my temple. I felt him take a shuddering breath, felt his muscles tense under the strain of keeping himself still. At last, I lifted my head and met his lips with mine.

Kid’s lips were warm, and a little chapped from the cold, dry winter air. They moved gently against mine, and I felt a shiver tickle down my spine. The hand still placed on my waist wandered under my jacket to the small of my back, splayed over it and pressed me closer to Kid’s warm chest.

When he broke the kiss I gazed at him through half-lidded eyes, my lips slightly parted. “Let’s go back to the bar. You look like you could do with another Whiskey.” I nodded faintly, not trusting my voice at the moment, and let Kid lead me back to the bar, his hand still on my back, and the heat coming from his skin burning through my shirt.

I couldn’t help wondering what all this meant to him; what _I_ meant to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will follow up exactly where this left off, except from Kid’s POV.  
> So... There it is. The first kiss. Well, technically the second, but the first they both actively participated in.  
> There was a lot of rework in this one. Not plot wise, but feelings and thoughts.  
> Please tell me what you thought about the end of the chapter? I’m very anxious about this scene.  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	18. December 18 - Courage

_Kid’s POV_

 

I had to make a run for it.

Even though kissing him had been all I wanted for longer than I cared to think about, I had to get some distance between us as quickly as possible. Trafalgar Law was some seriously hot piece of ass, and that innocence and insecurity just added to the charm. It was doing things to me that left my self-control in a quivering puddle on the floor.

So back to the bar it was, mainly to get myself more alcohol, not Law. My heart was drumming a frantic rhythm against my rib cage, and all I really wanted to do was grab Law and kiss him senseless. Since that was not an option, I decided to just get drunk and hope for the best (not my most thought-through plan, I’ll admit).

 

The smirk Marco gave me when we returned to the bar nearly split the man’s face in half, and the second bar keeper on shift gave me a brief, and appreciative once-over before calling out to Law.

“Hey pretty boy, who’s the eye candy?”, he shouted over the roar of the music and I flinched. I knew that voice from somewhere. And I knew that line from somewhere, somewhere very specific. Carefully, I sat down on a chair, the hammering heart momentarily forgotten, while I eyed the bartender. I hadn’t ever seen the guy around before, which didn’t mean shit, as I had only been to the _Moby Dick_ a couple of times. Still… Something kept nagging me about his looks.

Then it hit me, and for a moment all colour drained from my face. I had never seen the man without make up, but the way he grinned and winked at me? That was definitely Izou. He was a frequent customer at the _Oro Jackson_. Well fuck me sideways, I just hoped Law wasn’t in on that particular fact, because given that Izou was bartender at the _Moby Dick_ , Law certainly knew the man.

And while it was probably very clear to Law that I was anything but straight, we still hadn’t actually talked about it, and I would rather not have him find out through the grape vine when Izou revealed where exactly he knew me from.

Throwing a sideway glance at Law, I saw the other man blush an interesting shade of red. He gave Izou a fond eyeroll and settled on the next free bar chair. “Sorry about him. He only helps out Marco on the crazy nights”, Law commented, and I hummed to show I heard him. As if I didn’t know exactly how Izou could be. The guy had a dirty mouth on him, and an even dirtier mind, and I was glad his comment had been relatively harmless.

Marco put down two new drinks in front of us, shit-eating grin still in place, before he rushed over to the next customer. Law wrapped a hand around the glass, but suddenly seemed lost in his own thought. Absent-mindedly he traced a finger over his lips, and I felt the urge to kiss him again.

Tightening my own grip around my glass, I reigned in my wandering thoughts. I had to be very, very careful with this man. Just the fact that we were here right now, Law not running for the hills screaming was a minor miracle. Sure, it was no guarantee that Law would be interested in anything more after tonight at all, but I dared to hope that if I played my cards right, I stood a tiny chance.

I carefully watched Law out of the corner of my eye. Before our little dance he had looked doubtful and confused, now I watched his face morph into something much more frightening: resolution.

I knew things could go one of two ways from here, and I honestly didn’t know which one scared me more. If Law decided that he didn’t care for my kisses, I could probably still hope to keep him as a friend. It would be awkward for a little while, and my heart would shatter, but I’d still rather have him around as my friend than not at all. However, should Law decide he wanted to try continuing wherever this was going, well… I just prayed my self-control would hold, in that case.

Law raised his head, and I turned mine to look at him. The tension was back in the lines around his eyes, the only sign his previous determination was partially born out of bravado. “Let’s go. If Izou gives me one more suggestive grin, I’ll have to punch him.” A surprised laugh escaped me.

A quick glance into the direction of the bartender confirmed that he was forgoing serving customers to watch mine and Law’s interaction. I got up from my chair and waited for Law to follow. When Law didn’t pay attention, I shot an evil glare in Izou’s direction. He just grinned manically and mouthed _see you in the Jackson_. I quickly turned around before _I_ ended up punching the man.

 

Once outside the club and standing in the icy winter night, we were faced with the obvious issue of _what next_? There were no other bars or clubs around, except _Kaido’s_ and a dodgy little bar called _The Raft_ , run by a guy I vaguely knew from before I changed schools. I wasn’t up for the permanently tense atmosphere at _Kaido’s_ , and the _Raft_ was no option. People like me were not welcome there, so I naturally I avoided the place like the plague.

I didn’t want the night to end, but there was no place close by that I’d be comfortable going to, and even if the _Red Force_ had been close, I’d not bring Law there. If Law thought Izou had been bad… well, the guys in the _Red Force_ would practically eat him alive.

Law watched me, probably secretly amused by the conflicting emotions on my face. He had lit a cigarette and was now patiently holding the packet out to me. When I finally reached for it, he smiled before turning around. “Come on, I’ll walk you home.”

Flabbergasted I stared at the other, the cigarette halfway to my lips, forgotten. Law had already started walking by the time my brain decided to kick start again, and I hurried to catch up with him.

He was already shivering in his thin shirt and leather jacket when I reached him. As much as I appreciated the sight, the clothes were not exactly made for a stroll in the middle of the night in December.

Sighing, I slipped from my coat and dropped it over his shoulder. Law looked up at me with a small smirk. “Won’t you be cold, Mister Eustass?” I rolled my eyes at him, fighting a blush at the nickname making an appearance again after so long: “I’ll be fine, thank you for your concern.” I was freezing in no time, of course, but Law didn’t need to know that.

 

We walked in companionable silence, smoking most of the way to my flat. Once we reached the door to the apartment complex, I turned to look at Law.

“I won’t leave my coat with you, but I know you’ll probably freeze to death without it, so…” I didn’t know how to ask him to stay at my place. Drunk-me had managed just fine, but then again, that was before we kissed. To my relief, Law just smirked at me, obviously seeing right through my discomfort. But when I unlocked the door he followed me in, so I didn’t particularly care that I had made a fool of myself.

I was hyper-aware of every move Law made as he entered the flat and took off his shoes. I had been too out of it the last time he had come here, but on this evening, I realised that the hottest man around stood in my living room, and it was doing things to me. Trying to play over my embarrassment, I went to grab my spare blanket from the bedroom.

When I re-emerged, Law leaned against the door frame. He had lost his jacket, and I could admire the form-hugging shirt in all its indecent glory for the first time. Swallowing, I quickly averted my eyes and walked past him to drop the blanket on the couch.

Law basically radiated restlessness, and I gave him a brief smile, hoping to calm him down: “What is it?” He shrugged, not meeting my eyes. I could practically hear the gears turning in his head, trying to figure out whatever had caught his mind. With a patience I didn’t realise I had, I waited for him to speak up.

He took a few hesitant steps towards the couch, all the while avoiding my eyes. I took a calming breath. But all the breathing in the world couldn’t have prepared me for the next words out of Law’s mouth. “Look; I’m not a freaking girl, and god help me, I won’t behave like one. This is your flat, and it’s your bed.” He stopped to take shuddering breath, before continuing: “If I sleep in the bed, so do you. Otherwise _I’ll_ take the couch.”

The words were like a fierce punch in the gut, leaving me breathless and reeling. Obviously, I knew Law as only referring to sleeping and nothing more, but damn that was still a lot more than I had ever dared to hope for on this night. Praying to all the gods above that my self-control would not leave me, I locked my eyes with Law’s.

“You sure about this?” Law was already opening his mouth, but I interrupted him: “I’m not saying no. I just don’t want you to push yourself to the point where you’re uncomfortable.”

Somewhen during my little speech, Law had made it the remaining way to the couch and was now leaning against me, impossibly close. My heart was beating faster in my chest, and I was sure he must have been able to feel it. My legs turned weak under his intense gaze. “Yes, I’m sure about this.” His low, deep voice was steadily chipping away at my self-control.

Then his lips were on mine and any logical thought I may have had flew straight out of the window. Locking my arms around Law’s waist, I guided us backwards until my legs hit the edge of the sofa. I tightened my grip and pulled Law down with me. He came to land halfway across my lap, gasping into the kiss. In an attempt to distract him from our current position, I licked across his lips, hoping to deepen our kiss.

When Law’s lips parted slightly and he shyly met my tongue with his, I couldn’t supress the low groan that escaped me. I pressed closer to him, wanting to absorb more of the heat he radiated, wanted to rake my nails across his back and feel his hands tangled in my hair while I…

It took all my willpower to break the kiss, but with the alcohol I’ve had that evening still pumping through my blood, I couldn’t allow this to go on any longer. I was still drunk enough to not trust myself to stop in time once my brain got completely lost in the feeling of Law’s body pressed against mine.

Law looked dishevelled, his eyes half closed and lips red from my kisses. I groaned and leaned my head against his shoulder. I was half-hard after just a few kisses and the picture the man in my lap gave was not helping. Closing my eyes, I took a few deep and calming breaths before I dared to look at Law again.

“Let’s go to bed. I will keep my hands to myself, promised.” He smiled a little at that, and went to untangle his long limbs from mine.

 

I still sat on the couch, trying to get my erratic heartbeat under control a few moments later. Once I felt steady enough, I followed Law to the bedroom. Law had already slipped under the covers, his naked shoulders and the jeans on the floor giving me a good indication on how little he was wearing. It nearly made me turn around on my heel and head back to the couch.

I dug through my wardrobe for a pair of sweat pants and change into them, before joining Law in bed. I was used to sleeping naked, but I doubted Law would have appreciated that this night. Law was lying with his back to me and I dared to place a careful hand on his hip, pulling him into my chest. When he didn’t tense or resist in any way, I buried my nose in his hair and closed my eyes.

With Law’s warmth against me, and the smell of his shampoo in my nose I drifted off to sleep within only a few minutes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This.. got a lot longer than I originally planned. I put in quite a few more details. Izou is entirely new, he didn’t have a role in the original version. Has anyone figured out who the owner of the Raft may be?  
> This was always an important chapter, and it still is. Tell me what you think?  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love.


	19. December 19 - The Day After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters are ever growing longer. In the original version, only very few chapters had more than a thousand words, but then I was basically writing & uploading on the same day every time, and it was rushed.  
> This one will be extra-long, hope you don’t mind.  
> Enjoy!

_Law’s POV_

 

I wasn’t sure where I had taken the courage from on Sunday. When I asked Kid to sleep in the same bed as I, I had only focused on getting the words out as fast as possible. Dancing with him had felt so nice, and I was loath to have his warmth too far away that night. So I had taken the leap and slept better than any other night that week.

No matter where the courage had come from on Sunday though, one thing was for sure, any trace of it was gone when Monday morning found me.

I lay awake in my bed and stared up at the ceiling. I didn’t want to go to school, but knew I wouldn’t get away with calling in sick already again. My mother may have gone along with it, but not after I was out most of the weekend. Unfortunately, facing Kid in school today felt like the most dangerous thing I had ever had to do; no matter how good it had felt to wake up in Kid’s warm embrace Sunday morning.

 

I got up and ready by pure willpower alone, and now stood in front of the door, frozen in place. On one hand, I really wanted to see Kid, on the other hand I dreaded what he may be expecting of me now. Logically speaking, I knew that I was being ridiculous. Kid had been nothing but considerate of my needs and limitations. But for me, it was the first time I felt like this for another man, and the entire experience was alien to me. I reckoned what really unsettled me was the unknown, that I couldn’t follow logic and instead had to rely on my instincts; something that was unusual for my overanalytical brain.

In the end, it was my mother who kicked me out – how embarrassing – when she left for work. I took the bus to school, somehow magically still in time for the first lesson, and waited at the entrance for Kid to show up. Lighting a cigarette with trembling fingers, I fought my instinct to run.

When Kid finally turned around the corner and passed the gate to the school grounds, my nerves were frayed, my heart beating in my throat. However, simply looking at the bright red hair, his usual coat and tight shirt, I felt myself calm down. A small smile crossed my face when I noticed that the bag handing from Kid’s shoulder was once more open, a reminder of that day we first talked properly.

When Kid lifted his head and saw me leaned against a pillar, he gave me a crooked smile, making my heart skip a beat. I mentally kicked myself for the reaction. Faced with Kid’s grin, I felt like a girl.

I grew more nervous again as Kid walked closer, anxiously waiting for whatever he would do next. When he reached me, he simply picked my cigarette from my hand and took the last drag before flicking it away. “Let’s get inside”, he said, as if nothing out of the ordinary had transpired between us over the weekend. When he passed me, his fingers brushed over mine, a gesture insignificant to anyone who didn’t already know. I smiled and followed Kid into the prison-like building to the first lesson.

 

The day went by quickly, me and Kid passing the time with Tic Tac Toe and similar nonsense, before we headed out after the last lesson. I had the evening shift at Starbucks, and it was a convenient excuse to spend some more minutes with Kid.

When we finally arrived in front of the coffee shop – I once again freezing – there was no real time for talking anymore. My shift was about to start, and although I wanted nothing but keeping Kid close and spend the afternoon cuddled up in his arms, not going to work simply wasn’t an option.

Kid looked down at me, a small smirk on his lips, and I just _knew_ he was privy to my thoughts but elected to do nothing about it. In the end, he must have taken pity on me, because after a few tense seconds he finally spoke: “Do you want to come over to my place after work?” I had to hold myself back from hugging him in relieve. The thought of being alone with Kid again made me nervous, but not spending time with him felt uncomfortable, too.

Smirking at my inner struggle, Kid said: “I can behave, remember?” I nodded, swallowing heavily: “See you later, then.” I ducked into Starbucks before I could chicken out of something that felt right, a wide smile plastered all over my face.

Robin simply raised an eyebrow, but didn’t ask.

 

The late afternoon stretched on forever, the minutes dragging on into eternity. When I was finally allowed to leave, I was out of the door within the blink of an eye, not even looking back. I had already crossed the street, a cigarette between my lips, before my nerves came back and stopped me dead in my tracks.

I knew I didn’t have to be nervous because of Kid. The man had been careful not to overstep, and so I was more worried about myself. The foreign situation made me insecure, never quite sure what I wanted and what not.

With a deep breath I forced my shaking legs to continue the way over to Kid’s apartment, silently praying for some semblance of clarity, telling me what I wanted from my visit here. Just hoping for a cuddle and a cup of coffee couldn’t really be all, could it?

I pressed my index finger to the door bell, waiting for the buzzing to announce the opening of the lock. When I was let in, I quickly made my way to the welcoming warmth. The comparatively short walk had made my fingers go numb with cold, and I couldn’t wait to get warmed up inside Kid’s flat. For the first time, I wondered whether he was living here alone.

The questions evaporated from my mind when I reached Kid’s floor, and came face to face with the redhead’s broad smile. “Hi…”, I greeted softly, and he stepped aside wordlessly offering me the way into his home.

Once inside, I stepped out of my shoes and over to the room-high window. Whoever had selected the flat had damn good taste, and the wallet to go with it. Although the area itself was not overly expensive, the flat certainly must have been. The modern layout and the huge windows practically stank of money. In comparison, my and my mother’s flat was small and although cosy, looked positively run-down.

I put my palm against the window and looked out onto the cold street. It was dark outside and I watched Kid’s reflection as he made his way over to me. Careful he laid his arms around me, and I followed what felt right, leaning my head back against his shoulder. “You feel cold…”, he pointed out. “That’s because it’s cold outside”, I replied and felt him chuckle against me.

When he placed a careful kiss on my neck, I felt once more how insecure I was about this entire situation. What exactly was the situation anyway? I wasn’t even sure about that. I felt Kid give me a quick squeeze before he loosened this grip and turned me in his arms. “Are you ok?”, he asked, looking down at me. With a nervous flutter in my stomach, I nodded and leaned up to kiss him. Things were a lot less complicated when I just let my body act and figured out what felt right. While I would usually overanalyse everything, in this thing with Kid, words just made me feel unsure. Unsure even about something that felt as right as kissing Kid…

 

His lips were always soft and warm. Parting my own lips slightly, I deepened the kiss, pressing my whole body closer to Kid’s. He was radiating enough heat to warm my frozen self. A little surprised gasp escaped me when I felt his fingers slip under my hoodie and shirt, searching for my naked skin. At my gasp, he quickly retracted his fingers, mumbling a brief _sorry_ against my lips. “Was just surprised…”, I whispered back, before kissing him again.

I was hyper-aware of his hand as it wandered higher again, slipping under my clothes. A shiver ran down my spine. Kid’s touch was soft, almost tickling. I forced my own arms, which hadn’t really moved from my side so far at all, to come up and placed them around Kid’s neck, pulling him closer.

I felt him tremble and briefly wondered if this was ok for him. It was clear that he knew a lot more about this whole thing, and I was wondering whether it was maybe time to talk about that. Maybe after we were done kissing.

Almost shyly I cupped his cheek, holding him in place. I wasn’t afraid he would break the kiss, but since he was allowed to touch, then certainly I was, too. I dared to let my other hand wander down his back, coming to a halt against his hips. Softly I pushed the dark fabric of his shirt up, moving my thumb along his hipbone. I had never realised just how low-cut his pants actually were… Kid flinched under my touch and pulled away, looking at me with an unsure gaze.

I averted my eyes, embarrassed by the rejection. With soft fingers, he forced me to turn my head again and look at him. He bent down, a wicked little grin on his face, and spoke into the space between our lips. “Now you surprised me…”

 

When he kissed me again, it was different. There was more hunger, more passion behind the way Kid’s lips moved, the pressure of his hand against the small of my back pressing me flush against him. His other hand snuck under my clothes again, up along my sides and over my ribs, it wandered further up still, exposing my upper body in the process. The cool air hitting my naked skin and Kid’s light touches made gooseflesh race across my whole body. I barely supressed a content sigh, my brain shutting up for once and leaving me to enjoy instead of worrying.

 

With a low growl, Kid pinned me against the window, breaking the kiss to start nibbling on my neck. My breath was becoming irregular, his lips and tongue and teeth were successfully clouding my mind. I got lost in the feeling of Kid against me, moaning softly under my breath. My hands, still under Kid’s shirt wandered further up his back, along his spine.

A particularly fierce nip below my ear caused me to involuntarily tighten my grip, my short nails scratching over Kid’s back. He tensed under my touch, another groan rumbling through him before he broke away, taking a few calming breaths. I looked at him unsure.

My heart was beating too fast and now that I couldn’t touch him anymore I didn’t know what to do with my hands. The overthinking part of my brain, which had been subdued by the feeling of Kid against me, came back with a vengeance. Confusion and the pure need for more were raging against each other in my head. I had never felt like this for another man, and still I stood in Kid’s living room with my body screaming to get back to kissing again. I wanted to feel Kid’s lips against mine, against my skin, wanted more of those soft touches all over myself.

Kid however, seemed to have a different plan entirely. Not meeting my eyes, he retreated to the sofa, dropping down on it with a heavy sigh. I stayed where I was, not prepared for the sudden rejection that seemed to be coming from Kid in waves. Not knowing what to say or do, I could only but wait for his next move while I self-consciously straightened my clothes. If he planned to drop me now, I couldn’t change that.

The thought alone was a painful stab in my chest, but with that I’d deal later. My own reaction to the idea would not change Kid’s mind in any way, should he choose to go back to just being friends – if that was even an option.

The tense silence stretched out between us and I started to think about opening the conversation myself, when Kid beat me to it. “’m sorry…” “Why?"

Kid’s words had left an icy feeling in my stomach, and I was suddenly pissed. If Kid decided to feel sorry for kissing me, well, so be it. But he better not be a crying little bitch about it.

“I shouldn’t have… This is not how…” Kid was mumbling, but the words made absolutely no sense to me. And in my riled up state, I was ready to punch him should he not start to string words together in complete sentences. Through gritted teeth, I snapped: “Kid. If you don’t want to kiss me, just fucking say so.”

Hurt mixed in with the anger, and I was surprised by how much the rejection stung. I hadn’t noticed how attached I had become to Kid, until I was faced with him walking away. Huh, that was unfortunate.

Kid looked at me, a mix of confusion and hurt on his face. “Me not wanting to kiss you... What the fuck are you on about? You kiding me?” It was my turn to frown in confusion. If this was not about rejecting me, then what the hell was his game? This whole situation was difficult enough for me without him messing with my head.

“Kid, just stop fucking around and tell me what the hell’s going on with you.” I knew I sounded angry, and far less controlled than I probably should have been, but I couldn’t find it in myself to care. Kid seemed to shrink under my angry glare, which was mildly surprising, and given the anger still running hot in my veins, rather satisfying.

“Listen, I…”, Kid started but once again didn’t finish his sentence. I was just getting ready to rant some more when I caught him chewing nervously on his bottom lip, a small blush creeping over his face. Was he embarrassed?

The thought sobered me up a little, and I carefully took a few steps towards him, watching his reaction and simultaneously swallowing my remaining anger.

When I was standing right before him, he finally looked up and met my eyes. “I don’t want to mess this up, ok?” My heart was beating furiously in my chest. This sounded like I meant something to him, and didn’t that thought just do wonders to the butterflies fluttering around in my stomach. I had turned from pissed off to giddy in point five seconds flat. God, this was embarrassing.

“You weren’t doing anything wrong so far…”, I murmured, a small smile tugging at my lips. The answering grin added more fuel to the overexcited butterflies, and I felt my knees go weak at the heat in Kid’s gaze.

Next thing I knew, Kid was pulling me down towards him, flipping us so I came to lie beneath him on the couch, caged by his knees besides my hips and his right hand beside my head. Kid was hovering above me, a hunger in his eyes that took my breath away. For a few seconds, I was too shocked to move, then Kid pushed his free hand back under my shirt and reattached his lips to my neck.

Nibbling along my jaw line, Kid’s fingers danced across my skin. My breathing was coming faster again, and I desperately reached for his shoulders, trying to find something to steady myself with. Then Kid found a particular spot on my shoulder, bit down on it and sucked, and all pretence of steadying myself flew out of the window. I moaned, gasping at the pain-pleasure, and dug my hands in Kid’s red locks.

Under Kid’s skilled hands and mouth I was quickly being reduced to a quivering mess, my blood rushing south so fast it left me dizzy. I was hard, almost painfully so, and pushed my hips up seeking some form of friction. Coherent thoughts had escaped me entirely, and I felt Kid smirk against my skin.

The knees pressed against my hips where trembling with Kid’s effort to hold himself up and steady, as he crushed his lips against mine in desperate need. The feeling welling up inside me mirrored his and I forced my hands to leave Kid’s hair so I could work my hoodie and shirt over my head.

I had only just managed to push the fabric over my head, my arms still tangled in the sleeves, when I heard a chocked moan from above me and then Kid’s hot mouth was on me again, licking and biting his way across my chest.

I had been with quite a few girls before this thing with Kid started, but none of them had managed to turn my blood into liquid fire like he did. I was moaning under him, hands grasping for purchase but my arms were still tangled in the sleeves of my own clothes.

I was torn between using my limited focus into pushing up against Kid’s body, or trying to wriggle my arms free of their confinement.

The redhead helped my decision along, when he finally lowered himself onto me and I could feel that our little kissing session had affected him just as much as it had me. I finally got my arms free and wrapped them around Kid’s neck again. He was looking at me, tight lines around his eyes and breathing harshly through his nose. When he spoke, his voice was low and raspy, sending a delicious shiver racing through my body.

“Law…”, he swallowed thickly: “What do you want? Please, you have to tell me what you want.” I could see him trembling with the effort of holding himself still. His words had a sobering effect on me. As long as we had been making out, my brain had been blissfully drowned out, and I had just followed my feelings. Now, the reality of it all came rushing back and left me reeling.

“I…”, my voice was unsteady. I pressed the palms of my hands against my eyes until I could see the negative of a whole universe flickering on the inside of my eyelids. What _did_ I want? I was trying not to think, and just listen to what my body wanted. If this was me and a girl, I would hope for a handjob, maybe a blowjob if I was lucky. Unfortunately, I wasn’t exactly experience in returning the favour when my partner had the same parts as me.

I woke from my thoughts when I felt Kid shift on top of me, bracing his hands aside my head and readying himself to get off me. “Wait…”, I breathed, and swallowing heavily, I tried to find words to express what had been going through my mind.

Despite my request, Kid continued to shift atop me, and the wriggling made my forgotten arousal reawaken with interest. It also gave me an opening to move one of my hands down and along Kid’s sides to his belt buckle. I saw how he raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised with my forwardness.

The surprise quickly melted from Kid’s face when my fingers brushed over the hard cock confined in his pants. He dropped his head on my shoulder breathing deeply. “Law… Tell me what you want me to do.” Another shuddering breath. “I’ll do anything, just please tell me so I know what you’re ok with.”

“Anything, please Kid, anything. Just please, touch me.”  My words were a hoarse whisper, breath hot and the fingers still burried in Kid’s red locks trembling.

Suddenly, Kid moved away, leaving my body almost shivering after the sudden loss of heat. I felt a sting of rejection again, before Kid’s hands were on me once more, practically ripping my belt open and pulling my pants down. Somewhere in the back of my mind I was amused to notice that he didn’t even bother to get them off completely, instead opting to just pull them down to my knees.

Kid positioned himself above me, his own pants in a similar state as mine. He kept himself balanced over me, forehead pressed against mine, as he found my cock with his hand.

His touch was light at first, probably to give me a chance to change my mind. I didn’t believe my mind had anything left to say. Kid’s hand was bigger than my own, the skin rough and my hips jerked up, seeking more friction. Precome was leaking freely from my cock and Kid used it to slick up his hand.

I wanted to touch him too, wanted to see him reduced to the same shaking mess that I was, but didn’t dare. Sure, I knew how to handle a dick, I have one myself, but the angle was all wrong and I didn’t know whether my brain would freak out on my again should I try.

 

My thoughts became hazy as Kid continued to stroke me in long languid pulls, and I moaned, throwing my head back and clenched my hands in his hair. Damn he was good at this… When Kid loosened his grip, hand almost leaving me I let out an embarrassing whine.

Then he lowered his hips and wrapped his long fingers around both his own and my cock and my breath caught in my throat. The feeling was new, but wickedly hot and I couldn’t help the frantic trust of my hip in reaction to the new sensation. Kid’s breath ghosted in hot puffs across my cheek, and I heard him groan.

I felt myself getting closer to the edge, the foreign sensations driving me towards it embarrassingly quickly. “Oh.. god, Kid.. Don’t stop…” My words were hardly above a breathless whisper, but he must have heard me nevertheless as his strokes sped up and he trusted his hips down against mine. “Shit Law… I..” My orgasm blinded me, making me deaf to any further words he may have said afterwards. I came with a horse moan, Kid just seconds behind me, panting my name.

 

It took me a few moments to calm my frantic beating heart. By the time I came down from my orgasm-high, I realised that my stomach was covered in quickly cooling cum, and I pulled a face. Kid laughed, kissing my cheek before untangling himself from me and quickly disappearing towards the bathroom.

He came back with a towel, cleaning up the mess we made. I flinched whenever the fabric brushed over my overly sensitive cock, but otherwise was too content to move. And my brain had decided to kick back into activity, trying to process what had just happened.

 

Kid offered me to stay overnight, but I knew I had to get home. My mother would be worried sick if I didn’t get back.

I kissed Kid goodbye on his doorstep. “See you tomorrow”, I murmured against his lips, before I made my way downstairs and back home through the cold. I stubbornly refused to overanalyse what had happened, lest I ruin the pleasant afterglow I was still basking in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... In the end, this got a LOT longer than I expected. There was definitely no smut included in the first version of this chapter. But what can I say, the muse ran away with the idea. And I obviously had to adjust the rating... Upps  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love.


	20. December 20 - The Calm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After yesterday’s chapter, I’ve had no idea where the muse would run with this one.  
> Kid and Law should hopefully start talking at some point.  
> Enjoy!

_Kid’s POV_

 

The next day, I was flying more than I was walking to school. Seriously, it had been nothing more than a bit of kissing. Ok, and a damn spectacular handjob if I dare say so myself, but still… It had been kissing and groping Law, and damn me, I had it bad for that man.

The familiar sight of Law waiting for me in front of school made something curl pleasantly in my stomach. I was quickly getting used to the sight of the other waiting for me, smoking. I knew I was late, the first lesson had already started, but still he was there. I smiled, and my smile deepened even more when I saw the way his face lit up as he locked eyes with me.

As I got closer, I fought the urge to kiss him good morning. I had to remind myself that this was all new to him. He was so far in the closet he could as well be residing in Narnia. Actually, given that he had quite obviously never been attracted to another man, I wasn’t even sure if he could be considered being in the closet.

I walked up to him, grinning. Sue me, he just made me ridiculously happy. Law flicked his cigarette away before I could get a hold of it, and leaned up, giving me a quick peck on the cheek.

I blinked. Well, this had been unexpected. He smiled a little unsure and I took a calming breath. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, I cupped his face with my cold hands and kissed him (properly). It was a brief kiss and I felt Law smile against my lips, before I broke away to make sure we wouldn’t be observed. I didn’t exactly make it a habit to announce my sexuality to strangers, but I didn’t care whether people knew. How Law planned to handle that particular issue was his own decision and I wouldn’t take it away from him.

When I pulled away, he murmured against my lips: “I could get used to this…” I smiled, my heart skipping a beat. “Me too.” Law leaned up again, kissing me again. He licked over my lips, easily short-circuiting my brain and I willingly deepened the kiss. I felt him lean closer, pressing his body against mine and slipping his hand inside my coat.

My pulse hammered, and I had to force to break the kiss. With my good intentions quickly melting under Law’s lips and my thoughts becoming fuzzy, I didn’t know how much longer I could keep my hands to myself. I leaned my forehead against Law’s. “One day you’ll be the death of me…”

His chuckle surprised me, and I gave a careful grin in reply. “My, what a waste…”, he murmured, and I buried my face against his shoulder. I was carefully hiding the blush that had appeared on my cheeks at his last words.

“Let’s get inside, I’m freezing”, Law said and carefully pushed me away. Tangled up in his presence, I hadn’t even noticed the cold seeping into my skin.

 

We spent the remainder of the first lesson sitting quietly in front of the classroom and waiting for the bell. Law had his head leaned against my shoulder and when my hands had warmed up a little, I dared to brush my fingers over the back of his hand. I could have stayed in that moment forever.

But as all good things do, the moment was interrupted at some point by the bell and Law sat up, bringing a little distance between our bodies. As expected, he didn’t want the other to know, didn’t want them to see us like this. I couldn’t blame him. In my experience, things got ugly real damn quickly once people found out you are _different_. And while Law and I both stood out in a crowd with our unusual appearance and don’t-give-a-fuck attitude, being in a gay relationship was still another kind of different.

Besides, I wasn’t even sure where we stood at the moment, so how could he know? We really had to talk about it at some point, but fuck did I not want to. I wasn’t exactly good with words, one of the many reasons I generally stuck to one-night stands instead of attempting my hand in the dating game. I grabbed my bag and pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind. If I was lucky, Law would let this thing go for a bit longer before he would inevitably start bothering me with words.

 

Four lessons later, Professor Sakazuki managed the unthinkable, he made my day. The afternoon courses had gotten cancelled due to reasons I had already forgotten. “Starbucks?”, asked, as we made our way out. “Logue Town Coffee?”, Law countered and I just shrugged. I didn’t care where we went, as long as I got to spend some more time with Law. I internally rolled my eyes at myself. I was getting mushy.

 

Shakky didn’t even look surprised to see us again, let alone see us together. I started to wonder whether people like Shakky (or Marco) had some sixth sense for _things_ going on. Well, Marco could also just have a built-in gaydar for all I knew.

Law dragged me to one of the tables in the corner and sat down. Moments later, Shakky placed two cups in front of us, and while she and Law chatted about the current situation with Rayleigh, I felt him move closer.

“I’ll leave you two to your own business now. Just call me if you need anything, ok?” I looked at Law, discouraged. “Let me guess, you want to do homework?” He nodded, his smile an odd mix of apology and mirth. Sighing I took out my books. This man had a dangerously good influence on me. If things continued this way, my reputation would take a serious hit.

Studying wasn’t my strength. Given my natural talent for most subjects, I hardly ever bothered with it anyway. And now? Now I had Law and I began to _change_ ; unconsciously but willingly. I liked this man far too much.

My head fell against the table and I groaned. I knew how I felt about Law, even if I generally avoided thinking about just how much I liked him. I was gone, head over heels, and I couldn’t do jackshit about it. At the same time, I was still in the dark about his feelings for me, unsure how much he actually cared and how much was pure curiosity on his side.

“Something wrong?”, Law asked when I didn’t lift my head again after several heartbeats. I opened my mouth to ask him, just throw caution in the wind and ask him how he felt about me, but chickened out. I didn’t want to have this discussion, even though I knew we should have it. But I simply couldn’t bring myself to risk this fragile something we shared now. Logically speaking I knew that it would just hurt more if I let it go on and Law ended up refusing me. Unfortunately, my heart – which enjoyed every minute I spent in the other’s presence – didn’t agree with logic.

I looked up at Law and forced a reassuring smile to my face, mumbling something about not liking homework to distract him. He laughed, and just continued with his work, indirectly making me work, too.

 

We spent the afternoon in more or less relaxed silence, working side by side and regularly refilling our cups, all the while low-key complaining about the amount of work, the stupidity of certain assignments, and particularly annoying teachers.

We said our goodbyes at the bus stop, where Law lightly brushed his fingers over my hand. The station was crowded and I had known he wouldn’t kiss me, but couldn’t help wishing for it nevertheless. I already missed the feeling of his lips on mine, his presence beside me.

Sighing I turned around and headed down the main shopping lane. It was almost Christmas, and I still didn’t have gifts for most of my family. And of course I also needed a gift for Law, didn’t I?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Calm and almost comfortable afternoon in Logue Town. What could possibly go wrong from here?  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	21. December 21 - Before The Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title really says it all, doesn’t it? I said they would have to talk eventually, though, didn’t I?  
> Enjoy!

_Law’s POV_

 

When I sat up in my bed that morning, I was forced to lay down again by the sudden pain flashing through my head. Oh goddamnit… Good morning, head. No I haven’t forgotten you exists; no need to make your existence so _painfully fucking apparent_!

No matter how much I wanted to go to school just to see Kid, I wouldn’t make it in my current state. Maybe, if I was lucky he would bring my homework over again. Or he might drop by just to see why I hadn’t come to school.

Or maybe, an evil little voice in the back of my head murmured, he won’t come at all. Maybe he doesn’t care about you…

He did care about me though, didn’t he? Realistically speaking, I couldn’t know. Thanks to my brain’s infernal habit of going into panic mode whenever I dared to think about this thing between Kid and me, I had avoided to analyse the situation at all. And this also included me avoiding to initiate a talk we really should have had some time ago. Probably after that first kiss, or after the other night in the _Moby Dick_.

Thing was, though, we hadn’t talked, and now I didn’t know where we stood. I didn’t even have Kid’s mobile number, and didn’t that just sound a little worrying?

Taking a shuddering breath, I slowly sat up. Pain was hammering through my head and I suppressed a pained whine. I had to tell my mother. She would be so fucking pissed when she realised I was about to miss school _again_ …

 

I ended up banned to my bed for the umpteenth time that months, and I couldn’t even be mad at my mother. It was my own fault I had skipped school twice already. And once again, I was stuck in my room with nothing to occupy my thoughts but one Eustass Kid.

Staring blankly up at my ceiling, I mentally went over the events of the last few days. What a mess! While we seemed to be fine with what we were doing, we had clearly run over a few hard stops where we should have talked. For example, before I had let my body overrule my mind on Monday evening…

All things considered, I had to be glad Kid was so considerate of my limits. How far would things have gone if he hadn’t stopped to check back with me? How long until the all the new sensations would have become too much?

Would I have let him go further? My mind was starting to wander, imagining Kid’s tongue and fingers all over my body. I had drifted to a dream-like state when my mother knocked on my door. I just had enough time to pull my blankets over myself before she stepped into the room.

She looked worried, and apparently I appeared to be a little flustered. Yeah, guess why…

Still somewhat out of it from the shock that my mother nearly caught me day-dreaming about another man, I only half-listened as she kept on apologising for having to work. Her shift would start shortly before lunch and likely drag on into late evening. Her obvious guilt was the final proof that she was really able to tell whether I was faking illness or not. Damn…

“I’ll be fine mom”, I muttered, when I finally managed to get a word in: “It’s a nasty headache, but nothing I can’t sleep off.” Plus, I would look considerably less flustered once I didn’t have to worry she could discover my little problem.

 

When I heard the front door fall close a few tense minutes later, I let out a tense breath. Had I really just gotten hard simply thinking about… With a heavy sigh I let myself sink deeper into the pillows. Yes, I did. Fuck you, Eustass Kid!

 

I managed to get through the next few hours without thinking too much about the redhead and his hidden talents by focusing on a medical journal. I was still engrossed in an article about the finer workings of cardiology when I heard the doorbell. Kid…

Without the shadow of a doubt, I knew it was Kid standing in front of the building. Careful, as to not upset my still throbbing head, I got up and walked over to the door. My headache had gotten considerably better after a few hours of lying in bed, but I was still mindful of doing anything that may have upset it.

 

“Your homework!”, Kid greeted me when I opened the door, and I rolled my eyes. “Nice to see you too…”, I mumbled, still somewhat dizzy from the pain ghosting through my skull. Kid crowded my in the door frame, forcing me to step back while he entered the apartment after me. He closed the door before quickly flipping me around and pressing me against the wall.

My headache protested the rough treatment and I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut. I was about to say something, but quickly forgot the words when I felt Kid’s lips on mine. His body was pressing against me, keeping me pinned against the wall. “I missed you…”, he murmured between two kisses.

His hands were roaming over my body, and I gasped when he abandoned my lips in favour of biting my shoulder. My headache was quickly becoming an insignificant background noise. Shit…

I felt Kid grin against my skin before he busied himself with the soft skin below my ear. Rational thought was leaving me, and for the first time since we had started this whatever-this-was, my logical brain resisted being overruled by my body.

“Kid… Wait”, I breathed and softly pushed against his shoulders to make him back up a little. He gave an annoyed little huff, but stepped back, letting me regain my footing. “Kid… We need to talk about this.”

He paled at my words, and I felt icy dread trickle down my back. My heart clenched painfully as I watched his expression harden. I wouldn’t know what I would do if I lost him now. I needed him, but I wasn’t willing to waste myself just for him to have a little fun.

 

We ended up in the living room, sitting awkwardly side by side on the couch in complete silence. I sighed lowly. I didn’t even know where to start this conversation, even though it had been me who initiated it. I shot a quick glance at Kid and took a deep breath. I had to start _somewhere_.

“Look… As much fun as this has been, I’m not just letting it continue. I can’t.” Kid’s head snapped up at he looked at me with a guarded expression. Was it hurt I saw in his eyes? “I’m not gay, usually. And I don’t know about you but this is more than just fooling around for me. If I want to get laid, I find a girl in the _Moby Dick_.”

The corner of his mouth twitched at my last statement, but he still watched me warily. “I know this probably comes off as ridiculous or stupid to you, but I really like you. I like our friendship, and I like spending time with you. But if you’re just looking for some _fun_ , that’s it. I can’t do that anymore.”

Kid slowly raised his arm, pulling me close and burring his face in my hair. I heard him breathe deeply, felt his racing heartbeat. He was quiet for so long, I considered adding something – anything – to my previous statement.

“I’m sorry…”, he finally murmured. He shook his head and placed a kiss on my hair, before untangling himself from me. “I know we should have talked about this sooner. And it probably should have been me initiating the talking.”

I felt myself tense at his words. This sounded suspiciously like a rejection, and despite all my nervousness, I had never really considered that possibility. I swallowed, focusing my eyes on anything but him. “I’m not sure I’m ready for wherever this seems to be going”, Kid continued, and shattered my heart. “It’s not anything you’ve done, or not done. This is my issue, and…”, he dragged a hand through his wild red mane: “I guess it’s better we stop here, before we do something we end up regretting.”

He got up and gave me a last long glance. “I’m really sorry, Law.” He bent down to give me a last kiss on the cheek, avoiding my eyes all the time, then he was out of the room, out of the apartment, and probably flying down the stairs.

 

For a long moment I was frozen in my spot on the couch, staring at nothing in particular, trying to figure out where things had gone so spectacularly wrong. We had been good, hadn’t we? Right up until the moment I thought we should start talking about whatever this was.

With some effort I dragged myself to my bedroom, shut the door behind me and slipped back into bed. Gritting my teeth I tried to breathe through the pain that was still throbbing through my head, and now my heart. I knew I had grown attached to the guy, but until the moment he rejected me, I hadn’t been aware quite how much.

Getting involved with Kid had felt so natural, I had let my heart overrule my brain, following what felt right before analysing every aspect of the situation, and where had it landed me? Without a friend, and with a broken heart. Just perfect.

“At least my headache isn’t the worst thing now…”, I muttered to no one in particular. Taking a shuddering breath, I decided to just sleep the rest of this godawful day away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t shoot me? I will solve this mess somehow.  
> At this point in the first version, I had to admit defeat to my muse, who had taken the story and run away with it. This time around, I thankfully know where I’m heading, which is somewhat of a relieve.  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	22. December 22 - The Nightmare Before Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things will be resolved. But probably not today  
> Enjoy!

_Kid’s POV_

 

I hadn’t managed to catch a single moment of sleep the previous night. Tossing and turning in my bed, my thoughts whirling around in my head, not giving me a moment’s peace.

Rejecting Law should have felt like the right thing to do. But while my mind clearly wanted to escape the responsibility of being the guy’s first male lover, my heart was screaming in agony about losing him.

Long before Law had wanted to talk, I had begun dreading the moment we would have to speak about what this thing between us had become. I was never good with words. Maybe I should have tried harder to make Law understand why I couldn’t keep things going on between us. Made him understand that it was my own fear of commitment and the worry of not doing right by him that caused me to reject him.

Looking back at the previous night, I had done a fine job of fucking up that particular discussion. Law now probably thought I didn’t want him because I couldn’t bother with his feelings. Which was quite obviously bullshit. I cared about the guy more than I would even admit to myself.

Which was precisely why I screwed up. I cared too much and that’s why I got my tongue and thoughts in a knot. The last time I had felt this much for another man, I had been royally screwed over, and I was worried I could not give Law what he deserved.

While he had evidently decided to get over the fact that I was a man faster than I had ever considered possible, my brain was still stuck on the fact that caring for him was dangerous.

He seemed to know what he wanted from me, at least as far as commitment went. Wasn’t that exactly what I had secretly hoped for? Why had my damn brain decided that rejecting any form of commitment was the right thing, then?

To tell the truth, the mere idea of actually having and maintaining any form of relationship with Law… It was frightening.

 

I took a quick glance at my alarm clock. After mentally going in circles for the entire night, I was now also late.

Hastily I got ready and made my way through the town to school. I dreaded seeing Law, not sure how to react to him anymore, and it was my own fault. Even if he would ever give me the benefit of the doubt and let me explain my reasoning, there was little chance we could just pick up where we had left off.

Law had taken a huge leap of faith with me. He wasn’t gay, and from his permanent absence in any of the queer places in town, I could easily gather he didn’t even passing for bi-curious. Still he had let his heart lead him where I was concerned. And I fucked it up. Because I was scared.

The mere idea seemed laughable, compared with the courage he had shown.

 

The prospect of facing Law in school was a nightmare. When I rounded the corner of the school gate, my eyes immediately fell onto the empty spot in front of the door where he should have been standing.

I should have been able to just walk up to him, pick a cigarette and laugh the day away with him. But I couldn’t. Because I fucked up. I sighed and walked through the door. Subconsciously, I hoped he was skipping again. It would give me an excuse to drop by his place and corner him; give me a chance to at least explain myself. If he had decided to just straight up ignoring me, I didn’t know what to do.

I wasn’t good with words, and heaven help me, I wouldn’t know what to say to him, even if I got to talk to him, but I had to at least try. Didn’t I?

 

Apparently Fortuna was disappointed in my behaviour. Law was there, sitting in the classroom, at a different table than usual and the seat beside him already occupied.

I tried to ignore the pain ripping through me as I sat down at my normal table at the back of the room. It hurt to see Law ignoring me. It was disrupting my already shitty morning by changing a routine I had come to appreciate. And it was still my own fault, so I couldn’t even blame Law for giving me the silent treatment.

I tried looking as non-caring as I could, doing my damn best to focus on the lessons. The first lesson of the day, which I had never bothered to show up for, before I got entangled with Law. I never had a seat I would have called _mine_ , either, before. Law had become an entirely too big part of my days…

 

When the bell rang to the break, I let my head fall onto the table. I didn’t know how to cope with the situation I had so cleverly managed to put myself into. I risked a glance at Law. He sat in his seat, frozen, maybe not even blinking. I wondered whether he kept himself so stiff because moving hurt, just like it hurt me.

I had shot myself in the foot the previous day, and now everything hurt, including breathing.

 

I managed to endure school until the end of the third lesson before I caved. I dragged my sorry ass to the nurse and got an excuse for the rest of the day due to a raging headache. It wasn’t all that far from the truth; I did feel like shit. But as long as I could remember, heartache was never accepted as an excuse to not show up for classes.

Jesus, since when did I even bother with getting excuses? I just skipped whenever I felt like. Another thing that changed with Law in my life…

 

Wandering aimlessly through the city, I found myself standing in front of the _Logue Town Café_. The shop was still closed, scheduled to open in a good half an hour for lunch guests. I could see Shakky through the window and raised a hand in greeting.

I needed someone to talk to, and although I was pretty sure she would rip me a new one when I told her, Shakky was my best bet. She seemed to know Law quite well, so maybe she could help me find a way to make this up to him; set things right.

Suddenly, I felt really silly standing in front of a closed coffee shop, waving at a waitress I hardly knew. I dropped my hand and turned to walk away. But I had taken only a few steps away from the shop when I heard Shakky call my name. I tensed, but turned around. Maybe I could just get a coffee, and not talk about Law.

Only a few minutes later, I was sitting at a small table close to the counter, a huge cup of hot chocolate in front of me. I had tried to order a coffee, but Shakky had apparently decided otherwise. She sat opposite me with a coffee, waiting.

“So, and now tell me how you end up in town instead of sitting in school? Especially without Law?”, Shakky asked and gave me a calculating look over the rim of her cup. I immediately started to regret ever coming here. I didn’t know what she thought about people like me…

Shakky was still looking at me expectantly. Time to bite the bullet.

“I messed up”, I muttered: “I disappointed him, like, majorly. And now he’s ignoring me and I don’t know how to make it right.” I avoided Shakky’s eyes, certain I was blushing and hoping it wasn’t too obvious. Then again, thanks to my pale skin, even the faintest blush was easily detectable.

I had tried giving Shakky the whole story, while simultaneously leaving out all the more important details. Unfortunately, the woman wasn’t exactly stupid. She smirked at me, making my blush deepen, and said: “Nice try. How about you give me the true story now?”

Shakky placed her cup on the table, and fixed her dark eyes on me, freezing me in place. “I’ve known Law for a long time. He doesn’t get attached to people easily, and given his insult-to-mouth filter is non-existent, he doesn’t usually bother with friends anyway. Yet here you are.”

Great, way to make me feel even more guilty. With a deep sigh, I started explaining what had happened the previous day, as well as the overall situation that lead up to it (minus a few more _personal_ details). When I got to my less than optimal reaction to Law’s confession, my voice became shaky. I had always wanted to do right by Law, and instead I had messed up what was probably the best thing to happen to me in a long, long time.

When words finally failed me entirely, I tentatively looked up at Shakky. To my surprise, she looked vaguely pleased. “He really does mean a lot to you, doesn’t he?” I just nodded, wary of her easy acceptance. Before I could put my foot into my mouth, she spoke up again: “You obviously hurt him, and I’m quite mad at you for it. But it seems that despite your words, you and Law are on the same page. You both want this thing between you to work out, right?” Again, I nodded, too stunned for words.

Seemingly satisfied with her analysis, Shakky picked up her coffee again, and leaned back in the chair. I fiddled with my own cup, unsure what to do or say next. While Shakky had nicely analysed the situation, she hadn’t exactly provided me with any advice as to what I should have been doing next.

“The thing is, Kid, that neither you nor Law can make this relationship work on their own. Just as you cannot kiss him without him letting you, you cannot carry the entire weight of how things are supposed to continue”, Shakky explained after a while, during which I had stubbornly stared down into my hot chocolate.

“I need to make this right somehow”, I mumbled. “You absolutely have to try. But you cannot make it right on your own, Kid”, Shakky countered with a sad smile: “If Law doesn’t want to forgive you, there is nothing you can do. As I said, you can’t make it work on your own.”

I nodded and downed the last of my chocolate. “I’d best be on my way, I guess.”

The clock showed quarter to twelve, and I was sure in a few moments, the _Logue Town_ would be busy with people looking for lunch and a hot cup to warm their fingers on. Shakky gave me a friendly smile, and started cleaning up the table.

 

I was already halfway out of the door, when Shakky called me back: “Just out of curiosity, did you already buy him a Christmas present?” I blushed, deciding not to answer and slipped out of the door.

The last thing I heard was Shakky’s laughter as the door fell close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, I like Kidd and Shakky’s interaction! It makes for a nice break of the otherwise serious note in this chapter.  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	23. December 23 - What About Tomorrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some more attempts to fix this horrible situation I landed our two boys in.  
> Enjoy!

_Law’s POV_

 

When Friday rolled around, I was utterly relieved to find the week finally over. Christmas was around the corner, and I would get a whole two weeks to get over my crush on Eustass Kid. Enough time… hopefully. Then again, it wasn’t a simple crush anyway, was it? I’d rather not think about that tiny little fact.

Once I made it down for breakfast, I found my mother leaning against the kitchen counter, a deep frown on her face. I knew immediately what it meant. She wouldn’t be home for Christmas; again. I gave her a reassuring smile, walking over to the coffee machine and waited for her explanation.

“Oh Law… I am so, so sorry. I didn’t know until a few minutes ago when the call came through. Makino is down with the flue and I’m the only one who can take over her shift tomorrow”, my mother rambled, obviously heartbroken that she could not be with me on Christmas Eve. “I promise I’ll be home for Christmas Day, though!”

I placed down my cup and gave my mother a quick hug. I knew she had fought teeth and claw to get Christmas off this year. All throughout December, she had to have argued with her supervisor and her colleagues so she would be given Christmas off. My mother was a customers’ darling, and she had the patience of a saint. It made her the perfect employee for the stressful Christmas shifts. Listening to her explanation, I was certain she had been just as surprised by the call as I was by the news.

“Don’t stress yourself, mum. If you’re home at some point during my holidays, it’s fine. We’ll just celebrate on another day. Who cares?” I did care, if I was honest, but the situation was not my mother’s fault, so I had to cope. I was honestly more bothered by the fact that I had to spend Christmas Eve alone and with a broken heart, than by us moving the celebration to another day.

I glanced at the clock. “I need to get to school now. Will you be home when I get back?” She nodded and gave me a sad smile. I could see how guilty she felt, and decided that I’d buy her something additional for this year’s Christmas, hopefully making her understand that I didn’t mind, and didn’t blame her.

 

Grabbing my jacket and bag, I left the apartment. I had my first cigarette between my lips before I even made it to the letter box, having picked it from my emergency stock under the nightstand. It was risky, as she could still see me, should she look out of the window, but I couldn’t find it in me to care. Since Kid’s rejection, I had smoked a lot more than usual, and the few cigarettes I hid close to the letter box were all used up. If I got lung cancer, I’d send the bill to Kid.

Only a few minutes later I turned around the corner to the school grounds, nearly colliding with someone already standing there. I muttered a quick _sorry_ and tried to get past the person, but was held back by a hand around my arm. The person pulled me close, and I had to take a calming breath. I knew this feeling, knew the way this body felt close to my own.

I closed my eyes for a moment, attempting to regain my control. I hadn’t expected Kid to be here today, especially not at this time. I had made a point of being extra early for the first lesson in an attempt to avoid the exact situation I now found myself in. I didn’t know how to deal with Kid, and so I had done everything to avoid the guy. Seems like he caught up to my plan. I always knew he was a bright cookie, that one…

“What do you want?”, I asked, once I was sure my voice wouldn’t break over the words. The street was deserted, no one except me – and apparently Kid – ready to be early on the last school day of the year. At my words, Kid’s arms wrapped around me fully, pulling me closer still. “I’m sorry”, he whispered against my neck. Gritting my teeth against the onslaught of feelings, I tried to form an answer to that. The familiarity of his arms around me was painful, and at the same time something in me relaxed, feeling right at home again, despite the anger still simmering in my veins.

“What for? For playing with me? For running, tail between your legs, at the first mention of feelings; of commitment?”, I hissed, letting my anger take the lead, and shoving all the mushy feelings to the back of my mind. I didn’t want to be reminded of how right his arms felt around me. I wanted to be angry!

“For rejecting you, when you mean the world to me”, Kid replied, his voice still muffled against my skin. My heart skipped a beat and the butterflies, which had been dead weight in my stomach for the past few days, decided to throw a party at the words. But I wouldn’t listen to either. This time, I’d listen to my mind, to the logical part of my brain that I had neglected during this entire time.

“Let go of me, Kid. I’m in no mood to listen to your lies”, I snarled: “If you’re looking for an easy lay, go to _Red Force_ and leave me alone!” I knew I was being unfair, Kid had been very considerate of my boundaries, but I was past caring. I began to struggle against the hold of his arms, desperate to bring some distance between us, but Kid’s grip only tightened.

“That’s not why I’m here and you know it. Shakky kicked my ass for being such an idiot.” _That_ stopped me in my struggles. He had gone to the _Logue Town_? I swallowed past the lump growing in my throat. Shakky would have kicked his ass; Rayleigh probably as well, and more literally, too.

“What do you want?”, I ask once again, repeating my initial question. There was a tremble in my voice, and I just hoped Kid hadn’t noticed how affected I was by the whole situation. Showing weakness was currently at the bottom of my list of things I wanted to be doing; right after fooling, and trusting.

“I just want to talk to you, try to explain what went on in my messed up brain.” With these words, Kid finally let go of me, even though he didn’t step back, still hovering close to my body. “Look at me, please”, he pleaded, and my body reacted before my mind could stop it. I turned around, hesitantly meeting Kid’s eyes.

The street around us was still deserted and I subconsciously wondered whether I missed an announcement stating the first lesson cancelled. My heart was racing as I searched Kid’s face for any hint of what he was about to say or do. “I know it’s Christmas Eve tomorrow, but…”, Kid started, and I already cursed fate for making my mother work late the next day. “Would you come over to my place? We could also meet in a Starbucks or something, if you’d feel more comfortable.”

I considered his words, as I took a step away and lit a cigarette. I wanted to hear what Kid had to say, not necessarily because I wanted to give him a chance, but because I wanted to understand. I wanted to understand what he thought and felt; in the worst case scenario, I could find some form of closure if I didn’t like his explanation.

“I’ve got some time”, I replied eventually, eying Kid carefully. He seemed to deflate under my words, as if all the courage and stubbornness he’d shown these past minutes were pure bravado, and my acceptance to talk robbed him of all energy he had had left.

 

We spent our last school day of the year in slightly tense silence, sitting in our usual seats at the back end of the classroom. Things were still not right between us, but it felt good to at least share the companionable suffering of school together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the original version, things were almost resolved again here. I decided to take a slightly slower approach this time around. I’m a little older now, and probably have made some more nasty experiences about forgiving since 2011, so I dare say I can write things a bit better now. Things will still be resolved fairly quickly, what these two have is just a misunderstanding, so as long as they talk together, they should be fine.  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	24. December 24 - Christmas Eve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When starting to rewrite this, I thought to myself: Wonder what the muse will do with this one... And now look what she did!  
> I fucked up in the original. This was originally in Law’s POV, and the next one in Kidd’s POV and so on. So from here on onwards, the chapter’s will probably need a shit ton of rework, because I need to completely switch people’s POV…. I can never make things easy for myself, can I?  
> Happy Holidays to you all, and enjoy!

_Kid’s POV_

 

I slept in on Christmas Eve. I didn’t expect Law to drop by until the early evening, so I figured I was allowed the rest. Getting up early for school all the time, not sleeping because I had been worrying about this thing between me and Law, and just generally having an abysmal sleeping schedule had started to take their toll.

When I finally got up, I made a quick check of the apartment, making sure the kitchen and bathroom were clean, and put some new sheets on the bed. I knew I was being overly optimistic, but let’s be real… If Law did hear me out and decided to give me another chance, it was more than likely that we would end up in my bedroom at some point. We were young and male and… You know the rest.

 

I considered texting Law, when I realised that despite everything that had happened between us, I still didn’t have the guy’s mobile number. _That_ I’d have to set right as soon as possible, given Law did indeed forgive me for being an absolute dick.

Sighing, I settled on my couch and turned on the TV. Playing the waiting game had never been my strong forte, so now that I didn’t even know when Law would drop by exactly, I was getting fidgety already early in the afternoon. Mindlessly flicking through the channels, I tried to plan out what I wanted to say to Law.

Unfortunately, the musing only made me more nervous, and I started pacing the flat restlessly. And that was when I realised that I was still in my sweatpants and an old tank top. A quick look along my body showed that the seam of my shirt was frizzled out, and there was a coffee stain on the left knee of my pants. Cursing under my breath, I hurried over to my bedroom, digging through my wardrobe. I didn’t exactly own nice clothes, but I’d be damned if I would not try to impress Law.

It was playing dirty, but I knew from (admittedly limited) experience, that Law appreciated my looks, so I’d put in some effort. And I couldn’t exactly wear my coat inside without looking like a moron, which meant I would have to put some thought into my outfit.

In the end, I settled on nothing too fancy. This wasn’t a date, so a pair of washed out jeans and one of my infinite number of identical, skin-tight black shirts would do. Grabbing a sleeve-less zip-up hoodie I made my way back to the kitchen. It was close to five already, so I figured Law would get here soon. To prevent myself from pacing, I opened the window, leaned my elbows on the frame and watched the people walking past the apartment complex. Both the kitchen and the living room faced the street leading up to the door, so I could keep an eye out for Law.

I hadn’t been standing there long before I saw Law walk up to the flat. Quickly closing the window, I made my way over to the door, turning on the coffee machine as I went past it.

 

I buzzed open the front door, leaning against the door frame and waited for Law to make his way up. I couldn’t help a smile when he finally appeared. He had dressed up nicely, although not quite as distractingly delicious as the other night in the Moby Dick. “I thought you might not come…” I murmured, as I let him into the flat. He gave me a confused smile: “Do I have a reason to avoid you?” I shrugged, my carefully prepared words already escaping me. Law walked past me towards the living room, and I took the chance to look at him more closely. His shoulders were tense, a clear sign of his nervousness. Otherwise, he looked rather dashing. He had forgone the hoodie in favour of a form-fitting black jumper, that highlighted his slim build and narrow hips; combined with his ever-present skin-tight jeans, just looking at him did _things_ to me. And I knew just how snugly the pants fit, as I had been fortunate enough to half undress him before.

The fact he had bothered to dress up gave me some hope for the upcoming discussion. That was, of course, if I didn’t put my foot in my mouth again.

 

Law stood looking outside the window, watching me approach through the reflection. When I stood directly behind him, he focused back on the world outside “The first snow this year”, he said softly, and it took me a second to realise that he was actually talking about the _weather_. He was right, though. It had started snowing, big flakes dancing past the window and down onto the streets.

Hesitantly, I wrapped my arms around him, unsure how he would take physical contact at this point. Watching his reflection carefully, I was ready to release him should he show the slightest indication of distress. He watched me in return, searching my face the same I did his. My heart leaped when he placed his hand over mine. “Your hands are cold”, he noticed: “Were you waiting for me?” I fought a blush, but gave a small nod: “Of course.”

I was tempted to sneak my frozen fingers under his hoodie, but stopped myself. We had an unpleasant discussion ahead of us, and until we managed to get that over with, I would do better to keep my hands to myself.

 

Law seemed to follow a similar thought process, as he started to step away from me, before turning around and facing me. I watched him taking a deep breath, before he asked what he came here to find out. “I think you were planning on explaining yourself. I’d reckon it’s better if we get that sorted out sooner rather than later.”

I nodded, carefully keeping my breathing even, to limit the signs of my nervousness. Retreating to the couch, I tried to recall the words I had so carefully laid out this afternoon, but of course my mind was wiped clean of them all. I took a deep breath, opened my mouth and hoped for the best. “I fucked up, but I guess you know that. I…” The words wouldn’t come. The explanation for my behaviour was laughable at best, and I so desperately wanted to make things right, my own explanation sounded ridiculous even in my own head. But if I wanted to fix anything, I had to try.

“You mean a lot to me Law, have for quite a while now. That you are even interested in me that way is more than I ever dared to hope for. I wanted to do right by you, and I guess I was so focused on that, I fucked up when it most counted.” I couldn’t look him in the eye, too nervous about his reaction to my words. I just hoped I made some form of sense. “I knew we should have talked about whatever this thing between us is, but I was scared. The last time I dared to let feelings get involved I got burnt. And it’s not your fault that I did, and the situations are entirely different, but some stupid part of my brain apparently decided that flight was the appropriate reaction.”

I sighed. None of this was right, none of it could hold up to the courage Law had shown. Nevertheless, so far my explanation was reasonable enough given the circumstances, and I decided that I should best stop there, before I managed to cock up again.

Law was silent for a long moment, and I began to fiddle with the hem of my sleeve nervously, still not looking at him.

“So what you’re telling me is we basically want the same thing, but you got cold feet when I started talking about feelings?” I winced at Law’s words. In essence that was what had happened. “It’s not that I mind your feelings…”, I tried weakly: “It’s more of a stupid-reaction-because-unable-to-cope. You surprised me again and again, and while my heart is more than happy with that, my brain hasn’t quite caught up. It’s still stuck wondering how _us_ even became a possibility.”

I looked up when Law huffed out a laugh. He dropped onto the couch beside me, leaning back and eying me with a mixture of mirth and anger. It looked a bit ridiculous, if I was honest. Since laughing would probably have been the wrong course of action, I focused on my breathing instead.

Slowly, the anger faded from his face, and he looked relaxed for the first time in days. “So we’re on the same page then? We both want the same thing?” I nodded, not trusting my voice. Could I actually be this lucky?

With a smile, Law leaned over and placed his head on my shoulder: “Guess we’re good then.” I felt like chocking on my own relieve. I still had a chance, I had not lost him. Thank the heavens! “I’m still upset with you, though.”

My heart fell at that, but I figured Law had every right to be a bit upset with me, so there was little I could say to that. Well, except maybe… Reaching into the pocket of my hoodie, I wrapped my fingers around the little gift box. “Close your eyes?”, I murmured, waiting for Law to acknowledge me and follow my request before I pulled out the gift and carefully placed it his hands.

Law opened his eyes, looking down at the little wrapped box, before staring back at me. “I don’t have anything for you…” I just smiled, almost giddy with the relieve still cursing through my blood. “You’re still here”, I replied: “That’s the best gift I could have gotten today.”

He blushed at that, but still hesitated to unwrap the present. My confidence crumbled. “It’s an embarrassingly stupid gift anyway, so you’re allowed to reject it, and then I wouldn’t have a present either.” I knew I was rambling when I saw a smirk tug at the corner of Law’s lips. “Just open it”, I mumbled, no longer meeting his eyes.

 

When Law ripped open the paper and opened the box he froze. Damn… He didn’t like it. “Well… I know it’s silly. Ignore it, ok? I can return it, find something better… I… It’s stupid, shouldn’t have bought it in the fir- “ I was cut off by Law’s finger on my lips, instantly silencing me.

The finger was quickly replaced by Law’s lips, and any thoughts I may have had about the stupid present were blown from my mind with the realisation that he was kissing me, was still willing to kiss me. I pulled him closer, picking the box from his fingers and placing it on the coffee table. My hand had a mind of its own, sneaking under Law’s shirt without a conscious though from my side.

Law sighed into the kiss, pressing as close to me as he could, but our sitting side by side only ended us in an awkward half-hug. I broke the kiss, leaning my forehead against Law’s. “So you do like it.” Law nodded, meeting my eyes. “Which definitely leaves me with no present for you.”

I smiled, shaking my head softly. “You’re here. That’s more than enough”, I reminded him. He smiled, reaching for the box and carefully taking out the silver earring. He lifted his hand and swiftly replaced one of the four golden rings with the silver one I had given him. It looked perfect. I was one lucky bastard…

 

While I was busy contemplating my fortunate position, Law swiftly rose from the couch. I looked up at him, for a moment afraid that he would leave now, but all he did was push me backwards, and making room for himself so he could sit on my lap.

Not giving me the time to process what the hell had just happened, Law bent forward and captured my lips in a searing kiss. The heat of his body combined with his long fingers combing through my hair made me feel lightheaded, and I struggled to keep up with the lips pressing against mine. If that was the reaction, maybe I should give Law a present more often, I mused, and really, why was I still bothering with coherent thoughts.

 

I let my hand wander to Law’s waist, sneaking under his shirt and up his back. The other I rested on his hips, slowly creeping lower. I moaned as he pulled at my hair, taking the chance to deepen the kiss. God, the things this man did to me. I was getting hard already, and Law pressing closer to me wasn’t helping.

Raking my nails down his back I pushed up into the kiss. He shuddered, groaning as he moved his lips away from mine to mouth at my neck. I let my head fall back onto the couch, exposing my throat to him. He was biting at my pale skin almost punishingly, dragging another horse moan from my lips.

I was rutting up against his hips, desperate for any kind of friction, my hand now firmly planted on his ass and squeezing. Law was making the most sinful noises against my neck and I couldn’t decide whether I wanted him to stop so I could switch our positions, or whether I wanted him to keep going forever.

One of his hands had left my hair to balance himself on the back of the couch, and the other now busied itself with opening my hoodie. Law dragged his nails over my shirt, making my shiver, before his hand dipped even lower, brushing over my cock. My breath caught in my throat and I had to suppress another moan. And this guy was supposed to be straight?

Law had bent back a little, giving himself more room to try opening my belt. I steadied him with my hands wrapped around his hips, focusing on holding my own hips still to make the task easier.

While Law was momentarily distracted by his task, I began mouthing kisses along his neck, nibbling at every bit of skin I could reach. My ears were focused on every noise, the panting breath in my ear, the soft sighs that escaped Law. Finally he had managed to open my pants, fingers sneaking in to rub over my aching cock, still confined in my boxers. “Oh god… Law…”

I felt him smirk against my neck. The grip I had on his hips turned almost bruising as he continued to stroke me through my boxers, obviously inexperienced with the angle. It was heaven, and I would have to stop him. “Law… hnng… hold on for a second...”, I panted, less than willing to interrupt him, but I wanted to be able to move, to touch too, and our current position simply made that impossible.

Law did stop, but only after dragging his fingers once more along the entire length of my cock, making me almost regret my decision. “Bedroom”, I whispered, my voice horse. He climbed off my lap, still fully clothed looking as if he’d just taken a stroll in the park and not made out with me in the living room. I, on the other hand, sat on the couch, hair in disarray and with open pants.

Taking a few calming breaths to steady my shaking legs I got up, quickly closing my belt so I wouldn’t fall over my own pants on the way to the bedroom. Capturing Law’s lips in a searing kiss I slowly and carefully walked him backwards towards my bedroom.

However, Law seemed of the opinion that I was taking too long, and once we were in the corridor, pushed me up against the next wall. His hands were immediately back at my belt, undoing it with far less fumbling that the first time. Only this time he also pushed my boxers out of the way, wrapping his hand around my cock and a had to bite my lips to keep myself from alerting the entire neighbourhood of what we were doing.

Law’s movements were still clumsy, but I knew from experience that the different angle made for some getting used to. I was scrambling for purchase, and upon failing to find any, buried my hands in Law’s hair. He was moaning against me, kissing and biting my lips, and I struggled not to embarrass myself by coming right then and there.

With some effort I pushed off the wall, placed my hands on Law’s ass and lifted him off his feet. He wrapped his legs around me, pushing against my cock, the rough friction from his jeans almost painful.

I took the last staggering steps into my room and dropped Law unceremoniously onto the bed. Except he hadn’t loosened his grip around my waist, and I ended up tumbling onto the mattress with him in a tangle of limbs.

As soon as I managed I sat up, pulling my hoodie and shirt over my head, before I was on him again, biting at that spot on his shoulder that had such a delicious effect on him. The moan I got in return was downright obscene and I groaned against his skin.

“Too many clothes”, I managed to grit out, before I started working Law’s jumper and shirt over his head. The moment the offending clothes were out of the way I busied myself with worshiping every bit of skin I could reach.

Law let out a muffled whimper as I grazed my teeth along his collar bone and I couldn’t supress a grin. He had been a tad too confident just a few minutes ago, leaving me hardly any options to touch him; something I was determined to pay him back for.

While my lips and teeth were busy teasing a nipple, my hand opened Law’s belt, careful not to provide too much friction. Judged by the frustrated groan and jerking hips that earned me, Law was quite aware of it. Sitting up quickly, I dragged the skin-tight jeans down Law’s legs. As he finally lay on my bed almost naked, I had to bite back a moan. I was a very, very lucky bastard.

 

I got rid of my own jeans before covering Law’s body with mine, and capturing his lips for another kiss. The feeling of skin against skin was heavenly, and I felt Law shudder under me, hips pushing up against mine in small jerks. I wanted him so badly in that moment, I nearly forgot that he had never had a male lover before.

Pulling back a little, I leaned my forehead against his, catching my breath. He gazed up at me through his lashes, a look of pure want in his eyes, and it took some effort to reign in my wandering thoughts. Sex was definitely not on the menu today, but I had some other ideas.

“Move up”, I breathed into the space between our lips. I made sure to keep my own limbs out of the way as I nudged Law to move towards the headboard.

Once he had made himself comfortable in a half-sitting position I kissed him. He buried his hands in my hair, messing it up even more, and pulled me closer. I sighed, for the moment content to just lie there enjoying our kiss.

It was once again Law who grew impatient with the pace I was setting, and he started nibbling at my lips, looking to deepen the kiss. Instead, I pulled back. “You alright?” I murmured. He nodded, still caught in the haze of passion. He grabbed for my hair, trying to pull me back down for another kiss, but I resisted.

Law huffed in frustration, but I could see him sobering up a little. “I have some plans with you tonight, but if there’s anything you don’t feel comfortable with, I’ll stop immediately, ok?”

Law blushed and looked away, but that wouldn’t do. Softly, I placed my hand against his jaw and turned him to face me again. “This is important to me, Law. You can trust me to stop at any time, but I need to be able to trust you too. If anything feels uncomfortable, you will tell me, right?”, I insisted. He was still blushing, but this time he kept his eyes firmly on mine as he nodded.

“Say it.” I knew I was pushing him, but I’d be damned before I ended up doing something he didn’t want just because he was to stubborn to use his words. “I’ll tell you if I’m not ok with anything you do.” I nodded. “All I wanted to know…”

 

Distracting him from his embarrassment, I kissed him once more. Tangling one hand in his hair and deepening the kiss quickly, I rocked my hips against his. I could feel his cock pushing against my leg and moaned into the kiss.

The pale skin of my hands seemed almost luminescent against his tan chest as I caressed his body. I let my wandering fingers dip lower, tentatively brushing over the hem of his boxers. Logically speaking he shouldn’t be freaked out by this. But laying in a bed together sometimes felt a lot different than a rushed hand job on the couch. As if on cue, I watched Law tense up and moved my hand away again.

I kissed him deeply, holding my body up and slightly away from him, robbing him of any friction. He had moved his own hands into my hair and was pulling on it, blunt nails scratching over my skin. I shivered, moaning into his mouth, feeling his rising frustration in the frantic breathing and the grip he had on my hair.

Again I moved my hand lower, this time going straight for his cock, and gave him a firm squeeze. Law bit my lip, a guttural groan escaping him. I smirked against his lips, repeating the motion before taking my hand away again entirely in favour of brushing my fingers over a nipple.

Under me, Law was growing more and more restless, hips jerking up in little helpless motions. I was busy biting his neck but I would have bet he was looking at me angrily. Only a few moments later, Law’s hands vanished from my hair and he started getting rid of the last piece of clothing.

I couldn’t help but smile against his skin as he wrapped his own hand around his cock to relieve some of the pressure. Unfortunately for him I wouldn’t have any of that. Holding myself up with one hand, I took a hold of his arm. “Kid...!” Law was breathless, voice horse and deep. God I wanted him so badly.

I lunged for the nightstand, picking up a condom and the bottle of lube. Giving a hand job without protection was fine in my book, but anything else just was not.

Mindful of my own impatience I decided to move things along a little more quickly. As soon as Law’s arm was out of the way, I slid down his body, kissing and nipping at his skin until my eyes were level with Law’s cock. I smirked, quickly looking up to his face to make sure he was still ok before rolling the condom on, giving his cock a few quick strokes.

Law’s hips twitched at the contact, and he honest to god _whined_ my name. I moved in a more comfortable position that wouldn’t strain my neck too badly, before licking a long line up along the side of his cock.

I used one hand to hold Law’s hips in place and took the tip in my mouth, mindful of my own teeth. Taking my other hand to help I stroked him in slow pulls. For the moment Law’s hands were grabbing at the sheets, helplessly searching for purchase. I’d change that…

I released the cock from my lips only to start mouth at the underside before swallowing him down in one quick motion. The tip hit the back of my throat, and I swallowed around it against the need to gag. It was well worth it though, given Law’s hands had flown back to tangle in my hair, pulling and tugging.

I started blowing him in earnest now, alternating between taking his cock as deep as I could and sucking on the tip while stroking him with my hand. Law was panting, his grip on my hair almost painful, hips straining against my hold.

Blindly, I reached for the discarded bottle of lube and uncapped it. I released Law’s cock from my lips and sat up. “I want to try something. It might feel odd; if it’s uncomfortable, I’ll stop”, I murmured. Judged by the half-lidded eyes and the blush on his face, Law was past caring.

Squeezing a little lube on my fingers, I dropped the bottle back on the bed, and got back to blowing Law’s brains out. I kept my pace light, fingers teasing over his balls before wandering further back to circle his entrance.

Law tensed, and I retreated a little, ears focused on any noise of protest. Once he relaxed again, I moved my fingers back to his entrance, all the while distracting him with my mouth around his cock. Content to just rub at the tender flesh for the moment, I didn’t try to breach the ring of muscle.

As Law hadn’t yet voiced a single word of protest, I dared to go a bit further. I took his cock as far as it would go, swallowing around it, and carefully pushed a finger in. There was a brief pause in Law’s breathing, a tiny second where I was worried I had overstepped. Then he let out a surprised little moan, obviously not quite sure whether he liked the feeling.

I chanced a glance up, but Law had his eyes closed, teeth dug into his lower lips. Carefully I started to move my finger, pushing in a bit further every time, trying to find…

Law’s eyes flew open. A toneless moan on his lips he stared down at me. I released his cock again, the drag of my lips earning me another low moan. “Ok?” I murmured. Law hesitated, before nodding slowly. “Do that again”, he whispered finally, holding his breath.

I smirked, keeping my eyes locked with his as I brushed over his prostate again, a little firmer this time. Law dropped back against the pillow, hands over his eyes and moaned hoarsely. I grinned and busied myself with his cock again, pumping my finger in time with the bobbing of my head.

Law took only a moment to catch himself, before he started pushing his hips up against my hold again. I increased my efforts, attentively listening to the increasingly desperate noises he made.

Soon, he began to tense, and I pulled my finger out, and relaxed my jaw before I let go of the jerking hips, merely holding myself in place as he fucked up into my mouth. His thrusts were frantic, tights trembling with the effort and he was moaning breathlessly.

Holding myself steady with one hand against the bedding, I moved the other to tenderly brush over his balls. That was all it took for him to tumble over the edge, my name like a horse prayer on his lips.

 

I carefully released him from my mouth and sat up. Just listening to him had nearly pushed me over the edge and I _needed_ to come. I had planned to finish myself off, but Law – who my all means should have been boneless with satisfaction – practically lunged at me.

I was thrown onto my back, limbs splayed across the bed, and Law’s lips attached to mine. Brave, that one. I still tasted of rubber and lube, but Law didn’t seem to mind in the slightest, sucking on my lips with desperate hunger. His hand was around my cock and he was stroking me, hard and fast. “God… _yes_. Don’t stop!”, I managed to grit out before the sensation of Law’s fingers around me drowned me in a wave of pleasure.

 

I came back to myself a few moments later, still panting, Law wrapped around me. I pulled a face at the cooling cum on my stomach and pushed up on my elbows. Despite his eagerness only seconds prior, Law now lay beside me entirely boneless with a blissful grin on his face.

I smiled, untangling myself from him and strolled over to the bathroom.

“You might want to get rid of the condom before it soils the bedsheets!”, I called over my shoulder before disappearing.

 

When I returned to the bedroom, Law had snuggled under the covers, and looked at me owlishly. I couldn’t help the stupid grin on my face as I looked for my boxers. That had gone exceptionally well, if I dared say so.

“You alright?”, I murmured as I slipped into bed beside Law. He nodded faintly, exhaustion finally catching up to him, even if he was still fighting sleep. “Sleep, Law. We can talk some more tomorrow”, I whispered, hopefully reassuring him a little. I wasn’t going anywhere. Not because it was my bed, or room, or even apartment, but because he was here and there was no place I’d rather have been.

 

“I like you, Kid. I really, really like you…”, Law muttered, already half asleep and I just barely stopped myself from flinching. I watched him as his breathing evened out, and wondered whether it would be enough, whether him really, really liking me could ever be enough for my heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are!  
> I really hope people will like this one. It took forever to rewrite it! Somewhen during the bedroom-scene the muse decided to disappear on me, which was really not helpful. Still, the chapter somehow ended up having almost 5000 words. Why muse, why?  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	25. December 25 - Good Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so, so sorry. I’ll try to finish this story asap and not keep you waiting any longer. Have some fanservice with plot in between.  
> Enjoy!

_Law’s POV_

 

It was my phone ringing and Kid not-so-gently elbowing me that woke me up. I reached blindly for my discarded clothes, looking to turn the offending thing off, when I realised that it wasn’t my alarm I was hearing. I was getting a call.

In a sudden panic I sat up, nearly falling out of bed when I bent over the mattress looking for my phone. The fact that I was seeing anything at all cued me in on the fact that it must have been mid-morning on Christmas Day.

When I finally found my mobile and checked the caller ID my heart dropped; my mother. Over the mess with Kid I had completely forgotten to tell her I wouldn’t be home until lunch time that day. Fuck!

 

“Mum?”, I answered. My voice was horse from sleep and I used my free hand to rub my eyes. God, what time was it anyway? “Law? Law! Where on earth are you?!”

I had to hold the phone away from my ear, the screaming from the other end a little too loud for comfort this short after waking up. “I’m with a friend. I’ll be home around lunch”, I replied finally: “I forgot to tell you I’d be out. We went for a few drinks and it was just easier to not come home yesterday.”

I prayed she wouldn’t see through the lie. I hated lying to my mother, but there was no way in hell I’d break the news about Kid to her over the phone. If I was honest, I had no idea how to tell her at all.

There was a moment of silence from the other end of the line, and I crossed my fingers. Beside me, Kid was slowly sitting up, giving me a questioning look. I gave him a warning glance. One wrong word from him, and my cover would be blown.

“I was really worried Law”, my mother said on the phone: “I’m not mad you’re not home. But I’d rather have gone without the heart attack…” I could hear her sigh and closed my eyes. I really hated upsetting my mother. “I’ll be home soon, promise. Need me to pick anything up on the way?”

This time, I could hear a small smile in her voice: “Do you know if Shakky’s open? Maybe some of her Christmas cake, if her shop is open. Otherwise I should have everything.” I hummed in affirmation before saying my goodbye. I was pretty sure Shakky would be closed, but I’d drop by the _Logue Town_ on my way nevertheless.

I dropped my phone onto the pile of my clothes and let myself fall back into the sheets. Kid looked down on me, an eyebrow raised in question. I shrugged: “I may have forgotten to tell my mother I wouldn’t be home the night.” He nodded, and lay back down on his side, hand loosely wrapped around my middle.

 

There was a distant look in his eyes, as if his mind was working overtime. I raised my hand to smooth the frown on his face. “What is it?”, I murmured. Kid sighed before giving me a smile that looked much too forced to be real. “I’m just a little worried, that’s all.”

“And what are you worried about, Mister Eustass?” I pushed myself up on my elbows, meeting his concerned gaze. I had learned what happened if I didn’t force him to talk, and I’d really rather not have a repeat of the last disaster. He smiled half-heartedly at the nickname. “You mean a lot to me, you know”, he finally whispered. I smiled and leaned up to give him a quick kiss (morning breath be damned).

Kid sighed into the kiss, lips warm and soft, making my heart beat a little faster. His hands moved to wrap around my waist and he lowered himself back into the sheets, snuggling against me laying on his side.

It took some rearranging to get comfortable, before we finally lay there facing each other, legs tangled together. Kid’s fingers were wandering over my skin, setting off a multitude of images from the previous night. A shiver ran down my spine and I couldn’t stop myself from pressing closer to him.

A chuckle escaped me as I felt the half-hard cock pushing against my hips. “Eager?”, I muttered into the space between our lips. Smiling I watched the blush raising on Kid’s cheeks, before he hid his face in my shoulder. I let my hand wander to his hips, brushing over his cock and heard his breath catch.

Gently I pushed against him until he was laying on his back, blinking up at me. I straddled his hips and got back to kissing him. Our hips were flush against each other, and I could feel just how much I affected him. I grinned against his lips, somehow euphoric to see that I had such an effect on him.

Teasingly I moved my hips, rubbing my cock against his and heard him groan. I started nibbling along his jaw line, down along the side of his neck and to his collar bone. He was gripping my hips, encouraging me to keep up their steady rhythm as he pushed up against me.

I had other plans, however. Kissing down his chest and stomach, I made my way to his hips.  I pulled down his boxers, letting my fingers tickle along his cock. “Law..!”, Kid voiced, breathless. I gave him an unsure smile.

“I want to return the favour, but.. ah… never done it before, so if tell me if I’m horrible, ok?” Kid’s cock jumped at my words, his pupils blown wide and for a few seconds he was just opening and closing his moth without saying anything. I was about to give the cock beside my face an experimental lick, when a hand in my hair stopped me.

Kid sat up with a curse, bending over to the nightstand. I watched as he opened a condom with shaking fingers before rolling it on. “Never, and I mean _never_ , blow a guy without protection!”, he growled. I felt a little foolish, but nodded. Most girls I’d been with didn’t insist on condoms as long as they didn’t have to swallow. But Kid _had_ used protection the previous night, so I shouldn’t have been surprised.

To hide how nervous the whole situation made me, I took extra care to make myself comfortable, keeping my fingers busy with Kid’s cock. He was tense, still half sitting up, leaned on his elbows and watching me. His heated gaze didn’t help calming my nerves in the slightest, but I tried not to show it. Plus, I was rarely one to back down from a challenge.

Carefully, I started to mouth along his cock, getting a feeling for its size and girth. I had spent various moments thinking about how it would feel against my tongue, but never considered the rather unpleasant taste of rubber and lube. Huh… that was probably why most girls preferred doing this without protection.

Despite having done pretty much nothing so far, Kid was trembling, his eyes half closed and his breathing coming in shallow gasps. I rested my head against his thigh, slowly stroking him, and met his gaze. “You really don’t have to…”, Kid murmured, but I could see in his eyes how damn much he wanted me to go on.

I threw caution in the wind, and wrapped my lips around the tip of Kid’s cock, twirling my tongue around it. The moan that escaped Kid went straight to my own cock, making it twitch helplessly. Trying to remember what Kid had done the previous evening, I took my hand to cover what I couldn’t possibly swallow and started a slow rhythm.

On every downward motion I tried taking a little more until I was nearly gaging from the feeling of Kid filling me. I released his cock, but kept stroking him. Risking a glance up, I saw that he had thrown his head back, panting. Looked like I was doing something right then.

I went back to mouthing and licking the tip of his cock, listening to the reaction I got for different things.

 

Only a few moments later, Kid was shaking under me, but still managed to keep his hips from jerking off the bed. I started to feel my neck and jaw getting sore, not used to the position I had put myself in. Picking up the pace, I focused my mouth solely on the tip, jerking Kid off with my hand.

One of his hands was burrowed in my hair, the other gripping my shoulder. Kid was bent over me, his legs caging me in, leaving me no room to go. “Oh God Law, gonna come…” The words were a broken whisper between hoarse moans, and I smirked around the cock in my mouth. Despite Kid’s wishes, I pulled off and removed my hand from him.

“No…!”, he whined, trying to push my head back down. “Don’t stop now, please…” It was almost a sob, words clawing their way out of Kid’s throat. I turned my head, kissing along his legs back towards his twitching cock, but without any intention of touching it again. Kid was curling around me, both hands wrapped loosely around my head. I knew he wanted to push me back, but restrained himself with trembling limbs.

I licked a long line from his balls to the tip of his cock, getting a little bolder with every second that passed. The knowledge that it was me reducing Kid to this shaking mess was euphoric, and I had to wrap a hand around my own cock stroking it a few times to relieve some pressure.

“Law please…” The plea in Kid’s voice made me moan. Oh _god_ …

I untangled myself from him, propping myself up against the headboard. He watched me, desperation wrapping him like a cloak, limbs trembling and cock jerking. “Come here…” I whispered, smirking at him. I saw him hesitate, unsure what I meant, or not trusting himself to have interpreted my correctly. My smirk widened.

“I want you to take what you want”, I elaborated, still smirking: “Come here and fuck my mouth.” A pause. Kid shaking, eyes frantically searching my face. But I saw his cock jerk at my words. “Take me”, I continued, watched his fingers twitching: “Use me.”

At that, Kid finally pounced.

He crashed our lips together, obviously not caring about the taste of lube, biting at my lips. Before I could really get into the kiss, he pulled away again, walking forward on his knees until his cock was pushing against my lips. Obediently I opened my mouth, tongue flicking out against the tip.

Slowly, oh so slowly, Kid pushed forward. One hand was gripping the headboard, the other he had placed against my jaw, thumb stroking over the corner of my mouth. The change in angle allowed me to take him a little deeper, but still far from being able to swallow him whole.

Kid stopped when he was as deep as I could take him. He was panting, eyes glued to my face. His voice was low and deep, and almost broke as he murmured absently: “If you could see yourself. That dirty mouth stretched around my cock, ready to let me fuck you…” He moved his hand from my jaw to the back of my head, holding me in place and began to move.

 

The feeling was like nothing I had ever experienced. I couldn’t move away, couldn’t escape, caught in Kid’s iron grip, while he desperately thrust into me. He had been close before, or maybe it was just the situation getting to him, too. Either way, his moves became frantic and irregular after just a few moments, and I had to focus on breathing calmingly through my nose as Kid pushed a little deeper.

I could feel tears prickle at the corner of my eyes from the effort of not coughing or gaging. If it hadn’t felt so _good_ to watch Kid lose himself, I may have wondered whether this had been a stupid idea. But by now his cock was hitting the back of my throat and he was moaning, and I didn’t think I could ever be this turned on just from listening to someone coming undone.

Seconds later, Kid stilled. Cock buried in my mouth, and with my name a broken groan from his lips, he came. I felt his cock pulse against my tongue, reflexively swallowing against the sensation, milking Kid’s orgasm from him.

 

Kid rolled off me, shaking, and discarded the condom. He was still flushed, chest rising with every raspy breath. He watched me through lidded eyes, seemingly too far gone still to notice I was jerking myself off to the picture he gave. I was so close already, still a little sore and the memory of what we had just done enough to push me over the edge, blinding me.

 

I came back to myself as Kid pulled the blanked over me, cuddling up against me side, probably unconsciously mirroring our positions from the previous evening.

I blinked at him, still a little out of it and he smiled, kissing the corner of my lips. “So tell me, Law, where does a straight guy learn to blow like this.” I shrugged. Kid raised his eyebrow, waiting. “I may, or may not have done a little research”, I replied finally, thoroughly embarrassed to admit just what sites I had been on over the past few days.

Kid’s smile was all teeth, and the look he gave me was, frankly speaking, a little frightening. “I should probably have a look at your sources”, Kid said: “Lest you spring another surprise on me that costs me all my self-control.”

“Sorry…?”

“Oh don’t be. I’m simply a bit surprised, and more than just a little excited for whatever else you may have decided you want to try.” Kid stretched beside me, making himself more comfortable: “Anything you want, just talk to me. I’ll try not to come in my pants when you share what’s going on in that dirty little mind of yours.”

Kid was still smirking, but now that I was coming down from my orgasm-high, I started to feel rather embarrassed by what I had done, and especially what I had _said_. I pulled the blanket higher, trying to hide. Kid chuckled and simply joined me under the covers.

 

Kid was wrapped around me, smiling softly and placed a kiss on my temple. “I love you”, he murmured, face still pressed against mine.

I felt my breath catch in my throat, as a wave of happiness flooded my system. Kid, however, was hiding against my shoulder, his body tense. With soft fingers, I coaxed him to look at me. I knew I was grinning madly, but just couldn’t help it. Although Kid was now facing me, he tried to avoid my eyes. “Hey…”, I whispered, trying to calm him down a little: “Kid. Look at me.”

He finally met my eyes, fear written plainly across his features. “I love you, too”, I replied firmly, and pressed my lips against his. Kid melted against me, melted into the kiss, relief making his motions against me almost desperate in their intensity. My heart was beating frantically against my ribs. My brain was slow on the uptake, only gradually processing that yes, Kid had just confessed his love for me.

I broke the kiss, a decidedly unmanly giggle escaping me. Kid looked at me, a grin tugging at his own lips. “Something funny?”, he asked, but I could just shake my head, still giddy with happiness.

I pushed the covers back, starting to feel a little over-heated under the warm blanket and looked at my boyfriend. “I should get ready”, I murmured, loath to break the moment: “If I’m not home by lunch time, my mother will absolutely flip out.” Kid nodded in understanding, but dragged me into another long kiss before he truly released me.

 

Kid had given me a towel and pointed me into the direction of the bathroom while he – still clad in nothing but his boxers – made his way over to the kitchen.

When I joined him after a really quick shower, Kid was standing in front of the coffee machine, just about to stretch to grab a cup from one of the upper shelves. I leaned against the kitchen door frame, just enjoying the view and waiting for Kid to notice my presence.

Kid placed the cup under the coffee machine and turned to face me, another already full cup held out to me. “It’s probably not up to Shakky’s standard, but ah well, it’s coffee”, he said with a grin. I laughed and took the cup: “Trust me, just the joy of watching you prepare coffee for me half-naked makes up for any lack in quality this may have.” Of course I knew from experience that his coffee was just fine, he had offered me some before after all.

“Before I forget”, I continued, pulling my phone from my pocket: “Mind giving me your number?” Kid smiled, nodding, and took the phone from my fingers to type in his contact details.

 

Once I picked up all my belongings from the bedroom, Kid brought me to the door, and between kisses I tried to explain about the family plans for the next day: “I really need to be off. I’m at a family Christmas lunch tomorrow, so I might not have much time to text, let alone to come over. But I’ll try?” I murmured against his lips. Kid just hummed to show he heard me. Instead of replying, he pressed me up against his front door, kissing me with more heat that was strictly necessary _or_ helpful at the moment.

“Kid! I don’t have time for another round!”, I muttered, trying to push back against him, but my efforts were half-hearted at best, especially as I kept chasing his lips whenever I managed to bring some distance between us. Kid laughed, before he pulled me flush against him again, pressing our hips together. He was already hard again, and I wasn’t far behind.

“Damn teenage hormones”, I cursed letting him manhandle me to the living room. He dropped me onto the couch, already fumbling with my belt. I moaned, looking down at him as he wrapped his fingers around my cock. Kid knelt between my spread legs on the floor, face already level with my crotch. I pushed my hips up into his hand, urging him on with a hand in his hair.

From somewhere he pulled out a condom, quickly rolling it over my cock, and then proceeded to swallow me down in one quick motion. I couldn’t help my hips thrusting up into his mouth, but he just took it in stride. God, the man seemed to have no gag reflex whatsoever.

Kid swallowed around me, and I thought I was going to come right then. The previous day, he had taken his sweet time to please me. This time he was rough and fast, pumping my cock in time with the sucking of his lips against the tip. “Kid.. hngh… Oh god, I won’t last like this…” Kid pulled off my cock, his hand never slowing down and gave me a filthy grin: “You said it yourself; there’s not much time.”

My head dropped against the back of the couch when he wrapped his lips around me again. I was groaning, the heat of his mouth around me almost enough already. Kid dragged his tongue along the vein on the underside of my cock before quickening his pace one again and I got lost in the pleasure his touch evoked in me.

My hips were lifting off the couch in small jerks, the position restricting me enough that I couldn’t really move much, helpless against the assault of sensation. I was panting, fingers clawing at the cushions, Kid’s name on my lips as I came.

 

It was another fifteen minutes before I could leave the house, still a little flushed, leaving a grinning Kid at the door.

 

 

It was almost one o’clock when I finally walked through the door at home. Against my expectations, _Logue Town_ had been open, and I managed to buy some cake. Upon seeing the open shop, I had hoped to grab a coffee, too, but something about me must have triggered Shakky’s spidery senses, and the grin she gave me was downright filthy.

Cake in hand, I had fled from the shop. I prayed my mother wouldn’t be able to tell what I’d been up to the last twenty-four hours, too. Then again, it was my _mother_ , so chances were slim. At least I didn’t sport an obvious hickey. Be grateful for small mercies and all that…

 

My mother was waiting for me in the kitchen, giving my rumpled outfit a disapproving look, but took the paper bag from Logue Town with a smile. I smirked and kissed her cheek: “Sorry for the scare. Sending a quick text got kinda drowned in alcohol yesterday.”

She frowned, a look of paternal disapproval on her face, but didn’t say anything.

 

While she finished cooking, I escaped to my room to get changed. Whatever Shakky had picked up in my appearance, my mother either didn’t see it, or chose to ignore. I released a tense sigh. I would have to tell my mother about Kid, and soon.

The question was just _how_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I am so, so sorry for the massive delay in continuing this story. Real life pretty much fucked me over in all kinds of ways over last few weeks, and I just didn’t have it in me to write anything.  
> This chapter is dedicated to cryingsandwich, who has motivated me to get off my ass and continue writing this story with wonderful comments! I really hope you’ll like this one!  
> Originally, the story should have been over here. But even when I first uploaded this, the muse had already taken the idea and ran with it. So we still got another… 17 chapters to go before we’re done. And yes, the boys finally admitted their feelings, and the finally exchanged numbers – about damn time!  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	26. December 26 - Granny's Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another one down.  
> Enjoy!

_Kid’s POV_

 

I woke slowly, stretching and yawning, and generally content with the world. Of course, the morning could have been even better if Law had been sleeping beside me, but overall, I was pretty damn happy with how things were.

A grin tugged at the corner of my lips as I remembered the previous day. Happiness was bubbling in my stomach and I fought the urge to giggle. Grabbing blindly for my mobile I fired a quick good morning to Law, before shuffling out of bed and towards the kitchen.

 

Leaning against the counter with a steaming cup of coffee in my hand, I attempted to think about something other than my boyfriend. It was all in vain. On this morning, every little thing reminded me of Law, and I made the interesting experience of being giddy with happiness while also getting turned on by the mere memories of Law’s hands on me.

With an embarrassed sigh I put the cup down and headed for the shower. I had a few more days before school started again, and by then I’d have to get my body’s reaction under control…

The thought of facing people at school put a damper on my good mood. I didn’t care if Law wanted to keep our relationship a secret, though if that was the case, he’d have to stop kissing me at the _Moby Dick_. But if someone did find out, regardless of how, school was bound to get uncomfortable at best. I sighed again. Law and I would have to talk about that; talk about how we wanted to handle our relationship outside our own little bubble.

 

After a brief shower, I got myself another coffee and dropped down onto the couch in the living room, turning on the TV and flicking through the channel. I kept a tight leash on my wandering thoughts. Me and Law had spent a little too much time on this particular couch for my thoughts to safely wander.

Law hadn’t answered my text. But then again, it was already past lunch, so he was likely at his family lunch thing and didn’t have the time to fiddle with his mobile. I sighed and started Netflix, looking for _anything_ to keep my mind off my boyfriend for a while. Nothing really caught my eye, so I started a cheap horror movie I’d seen at least three times before and settled deeper into the cushions, dozing of soon after.

 

A shrill scream coming from my TV jolted me awake and I took a moment to remember why I was on the couch. The movie was entering its final moments, all characters except two already down. It was mid-afternoon, and I cast a glance at my mobile lying on the coffee table. Still no text from Law.

I knew he was probably busy socialising with his family, but a little text didn’t take that much time, did it? Then again, his family didn’t know he was dating, let alone dating a man, and I knew how overly nosey relatives could be. I shuddered just thinking about the fuss Grandma Bethany would kick up once she realised I had finally found myself a boyfriend. If I was lucky she wouldn’t find out until after New Year’s Eve. She’d be furious, but it would make my life a hell load easier.

 

I flinched when I finally got the text I’d been waiting for the entire time. I glanced at the glowing screen and grinned.

 

_Law: I miss you_

 

“Miss you too”, I murmured as I opened the message. But before I could even start typing a reply, the next text came through.

 

_Law: My cousin brought a friend along. I’ll get myself drunk. She’s clingy!!_

 

I scowled at the screen. Some girl was trying to steal away my boyfriend? How did she dare! Then I remembered that Law was not actually gay. Immediately I got nervous, and before I could stop myself I had typed and sent a reply: _Is she hot?_

I smacked my hand against my forehead. Was my brain trying to sabotage me? Watching the screen worriedly, I saw Law starting to write a reply multiple times without sending anything. Fuck, fuck, _fuck_! Finally:

 

_Law: What if? Looking for a threesome?_

 

_Nope. Girls are not really my type_ I answered, relieve flooding through me. Law always had a tendency to get me out of awkward situations I had landed myself in.

 

After he sent me a smiley in reply, Law went silent. With a sigh I tried to focus back on the TV screen, where the credits had begun rolling, and I was once again faced with the problem of finding anything to watch.

 

Law and I still hadn’t actually talked about the whole gay thing. In the end it shouldn’t matter, but some people liked to be able to slap labels on others and themselves, because it made them feel more secure. I doubted Law was that kind of person, nevertheless I wondered whether we should attempt to talk about this whole relationship thing again.

The L-bomb had been dropped and not caused too much damage, and we had kind of talked about commitment. Did we really need to do the stupid _will you be my boyfriend_ thing?

The list of things I should talk over with Law was getting longer. I hated talking… At least about these things. I had always taken things as they came. That attitude had landed me in more than one mess, least of all the disaster with the last guy I fell in love with, but even being forced to change schools hadn’t made me adapt my behaviour.

On the other hand, I had never bothered with relationships, either, so a new approach might be necessary. Raking my fingers through my hair, I sighed. If I kept thinking so much, I’d get a headache.

 

I was woken from my reverie when the doorbell rang. Slowly, I turned my head towards the door. Law was with his family, so I didn’t expect it to be him. But who else could it be?

A little wary I walked over to the door and pressed the button on the intercom. “Hello..?” “Hey sweetheart, will you let me in? I even got you coffee” For a second I just blinked at the speaker dumbly. That had been Law’s voice all right, but he hadn’t mentioned being on his way and…

Instead of buzzing the door open, I got out of my flat and hastened down the stairs to open the front door myself. Sure enough, there stood Trafalgar Law, two cups of Starbucks coffee in hand, and smiled at me. Then I noticed the rather pretty dark-haired girl beside him. She was a little shorter than him, slim, had long wavy hair and was wearing a coat that wasn’t suited for walking around outside. A quick glance at her feet showed that her shoes were _definitely_ not suited for wandering about. I raised an eyebrow at Law.

 

“You’re gay?”, she said, before either of us had uttered another word.

“Well, I’m definitely into that guy”, Law replied with a shrug, smirking and not breaking eye contact with me: “Guess I won’t see you again.”

She shook her head, apparently still too shocked to form words and turned on her heel. I raised my eyebrow a little higher and looked down at Law. He just grinned, holding out the cup of coffee like a peace offering. Taking it from him, I pulled him into the building and leaned down for a quick kiss. “Missed you…”

He smiled: “Missed you too.”

 

Back in my flat we settled on the couch, cuddling up and I let him browse through Netflix. Law absentmindedly sipped his coffee, looking through the list of recommended movies and I watched him. He was wearing a dark grey pair of jeans, skin-tight as always, and a formfitting black sweater. Given I couldn’t even make out the shirt below, I could only assume that it was fitting him like a second skin.

The face of the nameless girl swam in front of my mind’s eye and I looked from Law to the TV screen. She wasn’t a threat, and no matter what my insecurities tried to tell me, Law had made it very clear to her that he wasn’t interested. Nevertheless, I was left wondering. My boyfriend was a gorgeous man, and I knew well enough that he wasn’t gay, no matter how spectacular he was with his mouth.

“I can hear you thinking”, Law murmured beside me: “What’s got you all twisted up?” I sighed, still focusing on the TV. “Sometimes I still can’t believe you’re here. That you really want to be with me.”

Law turned then, his eyes burning into my skin as I still refused to meet his gaze. “Is this about Ellie? You do realise that I neither do nor want to know her, right?” he said, placing a careful hand on my arm. “Kid, she just followed me here. I was fed up with the family drama and got out. There’s always so many people Gran never notices when someone walks. And she… I don’t know… Couldn’t take the hint.”

I finally turned my head, looking at Law’s calm face. “She got on the bus with me, and wouldn’t leave, even though I hardly spoke a word with her. Didn’t even get the message when I bought the coffees.”

Nodding slowly, I leaned back against the couch. Law offered me a small smile, leaning against me and settled for watching the movie. I really shouldn’t worry so much. But there was another thing nagging me, and if we were already talking, might as well get that over with too.

 

“What about school?”, I asked, once again avoiding to look at Law. I felt him shrug. “I don’t care if people know. I never kept it a secret. But…” I trailed off, not sure how to make him see why I was so concerned about this.

Law shrugged again. “If they find out they will. I’m more concerned about telling my mother, if I’m honest.” I hummed in reply, not sure what to say. Law dropped the topic, and I felt that whatever needed discussing about school had been said. He would take it whichever way things would turn out to be, which was just fine in my books.

I sighed, wrapped my arm around Law’s shoulder and pulled him closer. School was far away still. For today, I’d just enjoy the warmth radiating from the man beside me and not worry any further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter is rather short and mainly fluff, but it builds up to the next plot point, so bear with me!  
> Tougher times are ahead.  
> Remember Grandma Bethany, she’ll make an appearance soon! She’s one of the few OCs in this story, and boy do I love her. Hope you’ll like her, too.  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	27. December 27 - How to Tell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything was going so well… Of course shit had to hit the fan once more, didn’t it?  
> Enjoy!

_Law’s POV_

 

After I had abandoned my mother at Gran’s party the previous day, and then didn’t get back home until after dinner, I had promised myself to spend some time with my mum. The way I had acted the past three days, I was sure she must have felt like I was still mad because of Christmas Eve. Which I absolutely wasn’t, especially when considering how I had ended up spending my Christmas Eve. So I had decided to prepare breakfast for her.

Regardless of my good intensions, I was thoroughly unimpressed when my alarm went off at eight o’clock sharp that morning. Groaning I sat up in bed, rubbed my eyes and brushed my hand through the mess that was my hair. _Coffee_ …

My mother was an early riser, so to prepare breakfast for her, I had to be up early, too, and wasn’t that just brilliant. I yawned as I put the plates on the table, one hand permanently occupied by my coffee cup.

I had just put the toast onto the table and was now leaning against the kitchen counter when my mother appeared in the door. Apart from her long, loosely braided hair, I looked just like her. She met my eyes over the rim of my cup and smiled: “Morning, sunshine.” I smiled weakly, still not fully awake and sat down at the kitchen table.

 

I had to tell her about Kid. But how does one even start such a conversation? Plus, I didn’t want to ruin her morning, just in case this would take a turn for the worst. I didn’t consider myself to be gay, I liked women’s looks a bit too much for that to be true. On the other hand, I was in a gay relationship at the moment, so it didn’t really matter how I identified myself.

My mother gave me a concerned gaze, obviously feeling my internal struggle. She was my mother after all. Somehow, mothers always knew when something was up. Taking a sip of coffee, she just looked at me and waited. I hated when she did that. It always made me feel like I had done something wrong, even if I hadn’t.

Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself to ruin a perfectly comfortable morning. “You know I’m seeing someone, right?” Probably not the best way to open the conversation, but I was honestly at a loss.  My mother hummed in acknowledgment, but still didn’t say anything. “Are you mad I left early yesterday?”, I wondered next. Yes, ok, I chickened out. Sue me…

“Not really, no.”

I swallowed audibly. Something was off; didn’t feel right. I hadn’t even begun broaching the actual topic, and already the mood had turned from content to freezing silence. “Mama, what’s wrong?”, I asked, not daring to meet her eyes and instead watching her from the corner of my eyes. She looked tired. Something wrong at work, maybe?

 

She sighed and turned her head to look at me. “You are wrong. In the last month you called in sick three times. I’m sure you were ill only once.” I flinched. So she did notice. Before I had a chance to say anything, my mother continued: “You don’t come home without leaving a message. You’re seeing someone but don’t tell me about it. I get the feeling I don’t know you anymore and I don’t understand what happened.” She sighed, taking another sip of coffee. I didn’t know what to say.

“I understand that you are growing up. I understand that at some point you don’t come running to me with every little detail about your life, especially when I’m hardly ever home. But the way things are going at the moment, you have me worried. You’re smoking more, too, which you only do when you’re stressed.”

“Wait, wait, wait. You know I’m smoking?” It wasn’t what I should have been focusing on, but the surprise still hit me. My mother flashed me a small grin: “Of course I do.” I sighed and leaned my head against the wall behind me, unsure what to say next. I glared at her half-heartedly. “And I was always so careful”, I muttered in a sulking tone. It made her laugh, which was what I’d been after. I needed to lighten the mood a little before I dropped the bomb.

I took a deep breath and decided to just get it over with. “Things were a bit complicated for a while. I needed time to think, which is why I skipped school, didn’t plan to get sick on top of that. I met someone, and things were a little rocky for a while. Now we’re dating, and… Guess things are better now.” I couldn’t quite supress the smile, thinking about Kid.

“His name is Eustass Kid, he’s in my class. I think you’ve seen him once. Bright red hair?” I dared to look at my mother, and felt my stomach turn to ice. She was pale, eyes wide, gripping her cup so tightly her knuckles stood out white against her tan skin. That didn’t look good… “Mum, I- ”

She raised her hand, silencing me immediately. Raising from her chair, she walked over to the kitchen window, her lips set in a hard line. I waited, holding my breath. After a few long moments, she finally turned back to me. “Did I do something wrong? Is this because your father was not around? If I had found another man after Joe, may-“

It was my turn to cut her off as I jumped up. Her words hurt more than I would ever be able to explain. The chair clattered to the floor, and I was out of the kitchen before she could react. I stormed through the apartment, slipping into my shoes with practiced speed. The jacket and key I grabbed on my way past, then I was out of the door.

I flew down the stairs, the icy feeling numbing me to anything around me. I had known my mother would take some time to get used to this whole idea. I wouldn’t have blamed her for it, either. I was worried she might not approve of Kid, simply for being Kid. My boyfriend did stand out and not always in a good way, so a certain disapproval of my choice was expected, too. But this?

I ran, blinded by the cold in and around me, unsure where my feet were carrying me. My mother was an open-minded person. Hell, I knew some of her friends from work were lesbians and had been in a relationship for over three years. It seemed _different_ was easy to accept as long as it didn’t affect the possibility of having grand-children.

I felt a tear run down my cheek, the moisture icy even against my cold skin. I knew I was being unfair. Maybe there would have been a better way to tell her. I was sure I hadn’t handled the situation ideally either. But I was too hurt to be fair or logical.

Breathing harshly, I finally came to a stop in front of a tall apartment complex. A humourless laugh escaped me. Without conscious thought my feet had carried me to Kid’s flat.

I shouldn’t have been there. Kid was the reason for this entire mess I found myself in. Chewing on my lips, I started at the building. If I rang the doorbell in my current mindset, I’d end up fighting with Kid, and I didn’t want that. He _was_ at the core of my problems, but it wasn’t his fault my mother had reacted the way she did.

Taking a deep breath, I put a cigarette between my lips, lighting it with shaking fingers. The cold was getting to me now. Inhaling deeply, I tried to calm my racing heart and tumbling thoughts.

Staring up at the building, a thought that had crossed my mind before resurfaced. I had never seen any indication that his parents lived with him. Where _were_ they? And did they know about him being gay?

Kid never talked about them, and I briefly wondered whether they were estranged because Kid preferred to bed men. Taking a last deep breath I crossed the street and rang the bell. It felt like an eternity passed before I heard Kid’s voice through the intercom. “Kid… I”, I had to stop and take another deep breath: “Can I come up?”

There must have been something in my voice, because Kid didn’t ask any questions, just buzzed the entrance door open. When I reached his floor, he leaned against the doorframe waiting.

I headed straight for the living room, not offering any form of explanation as to why I was there. Kid didn’t ask, just followed me through the flat and came to a stop behind me. I stared out the room-high windows, not seeing anything, and wondered why I had come here. I loved Kid, god, I loved him so much. But if my mother was against this… Just thinking about breaking up with me hurt; cut off my breath.

After a moment, Kid placed a careful hand on my shoulder, as if feeling my current uncertainty and that I couldn’t quite take any more physical contact. He just waited, didn’t push me, didn’t try to kiss me...

“I love you”, I whispered, voice breaking under the weight of the situation. I didn’t know what to do.

 

Suddenly, all I wanted was hiding in his arms and forget the world for a moment.

Kid didn’t stop me to ask questions when I turned and flung myself at him. He didn’t stop me when I kissed him with such desperation that he must have felt how unbalanced I was. He didn’t try to get me to speak when I dug my fingers in his shirt and trembled under silent sobs. And he didn’t say anything when I left again in the middle of the night without having said a single word all day.

 

My mother was already asleep when I let myself into the flat. I was relieved I wouldn’t have to face her again that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t shoot me? It’s a very short chapter again, but this situation is hard on everyone, and I just feel these cut off scenes work best for the horrible situation Law has found himself in.  
> Things will get solved, and things will get better. I can’t stand to see these boys suffer too long, so don’t fret!  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	28. December 28 - Family Eustass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of my favourite chapters, even if it’s got so many OCs in it you can hardly see the story in between. I’m building up to the last sideplot before the big final, so a few OCs just couldn’t be helped at this point.  
> Also, when I originally wrote this story, there was absolutely nothing known about Kid or Law’s past, soo…  
> Enjoy!

_Kid’s POV_

 

I was sitting in the kitchen when the doorbell rang the day after Law’s disturbing visit. Dark rings were etched into my skin and I felt nauseous from exhaustion. I hadn’t had a minute’s sleep the previous night. The look in Law’s eyes had haunted my thoughts.

After a very brief exchange over the intercom, I buzzed the door open for my boyfriend and chanced a quick glance at the clock. He was even earlier than the previous day.

Law had brought coffee this time, so I dared to hope he had his wits together little better than during his last visit. Questions were threatening to spill past my lips, and I grit my teeth against the words trying to push out. Law had given me no indication as to why he was so upset, but maybe he was here to talk this time. As long as he continued to come to me, the reason for his mood wasn’t me, which I was very grateful for.

 

We settled in the kitchen, turning the take-away cups between our hands. Law’s fingers had been freezing cold when I brushed them briefly, so I reckoned he had walked all the way from his place to mine; which was pretty much halfway across the city. He was restless, his eyes flittering through the kitchen without settling on anything, fingers drumming nervously against the cup.

Carefully I placed my hand over his cold fingers, brushing my thumb over the back of his hand. At the touch, he turned his head and finally looked at me.

“Do your parents know… you know, that you’re gay?” So that’s what this was about. I nodded in reply, then shrugged. I didn’t exactly like talking about my parents. I liked them well enough, but people had a habit of reacting poorly to the story of my family situation. But given how distraught Law looked, I would try to explain.

“I have three brothers, two older, one younger; and then there’s Annie, my younger half-sister. Oldest brother – Danny - is in jail, Mike just finished university with honours and landed a high-paying position as junior surgeon at Drum Hospital. Carl, the youngest one is a genius, and I mean the real, certified kind of genius. Annie is, well, she’s only four, so she’s daddy’s little angel.

“I guess they know I’m different in my own way, too, but all things considered being gay is not going to be anything noteworthy in their books.” I smiled slightly. There was a lot more to my family history than that, but I really, really hoped I wouldn't have to go into more detail. I just crossed my fingers that Law wouldn’t ask why exactly my oldest brother was in jail, or where my mother fit into the story. These were tales for another day…

Law looked like he was about to start crying again any moment. “My mother didn’t take it too well when I told her that I’m dating you.” Ah, so now we were getting to the heart of the problem.

“What did she say?”, I asked carefully. I figured I had heard most of the more common reactions and reaction stories. Given that, I assumed I could deal with whatever Law’s mother had said.

With a heart-breaking look in his eyes, Law repeated his mother’s words and I sighed. Sad enough, his mother served a cliché. However, if Law hadn’t purposefully omitted any details, things may not have been as bad as he feared them to be.

“Law, listen”, I started, keeping a careful eye on his face to assess his mood: “This does not sound like she has a real issue with you dating another man.” Law flinched, but kept his eyes locked on mine.

“I can’t guarantee it, but to me, she sounds mostly shocked. The stupid reaction and the insults were likely born from her own insecurity. She didn’t know how to cope with the information, and instead of taking the time to think about it, she lashed out.” I shrugged: “It’s not the best course of action, but it’s not all bad, either.”

I watched Law as he turned my words over in his head, carefully weighting the new aspects against his memories and own thoughts. “I can’t know for sure, really”, I continued: “I haven’t told my family, yet, so it’s more of a guess and…” Law placed a finger on my lips, kissing me moments later.

“Thank you”, he whispered against my lips, and even managed a small smile.

 

I was about to suggest we move over to the living room, when the doorbell rang through the flat. Law looked at me with a raised eyebrow: “Expecting someone?”

“Absolutely not, who on earth-“ Then I realised that my family hadn’t paid me a visit this Christmas yet. Oh… “Law”, I said with growing trepidation: “That’s probably my family.” His eyebrow wandered a little higher, then he gave a small shrug.

“I can hide in the bedroom if you want me to?”, he suggested but I shook my head. “Stay in the kitchen, maybe I can turn them away.” I didn’t believe it for a second, but I’d damn well try. Now was _not_ the time for an unannounced family appearance.

 

The moment I opened the door, I knew that any attempt to close the door in my family’s faces would be in vain. I had expected my father, maybe Annie and her mother Kathrine. Instead I was faced with six grinning faces; the whole family had come, including my brother who must have been on temporary leave from prison.

I could only gape at them, as my younger brother pushed past me into the apartment and headed straight for the living room. “Yes… sure… make yourself at home”, I muttered lamely, before focusing my gaze on my father.

“Hi Kiddles!”, my oldest brother greeted me cheerfully as I stepped away to let the rest pass me: “You look like shit.” “Thanks mate”, I retorted flatly.

The family flooded the flat, giving me not another second to breath a protest, or even attempt to mention that someone else was here. I heaved a sigh; sometimes I hated my family.

 

In the end it was Annie, and moments later Kathrine, who stumbled over Law fist. Annie squealed in delight, alerting the whole group that _something_ was going on. Then Kathrine called from the kitchen door: “Kid, dear, who’s the handsome young gentleman in your kitchen?”

I rolled my eyes, promised myself I’d help Law with his mother in return for what I was going to put him through and stepped past Kathrine to wrap an arm around my boyfriend. He was tense, but gave me a small nod, bracing himself.

“Kathrine, Pops, oh and the rest of you idiots too – not you Annie, I love you – this is Trafalgar Law. He’s my boyfriend.” For a total of three wonderful seconds everyone was silent; then they all started babbling over each other.

Paying them no mind, I squeezed Law against me and focused my eyes on the small girl making her way over to us. Annie reached out her hands, clearly demanding to be picked up. Planting his feet, Law bent down to lift her up and settle her on his hips. In thanks, she grabbed for one of the longer strands of black hair and pulled.

“Annabelle, that’s not nice”, I informed her sternly. She stuck out her tongue in reply but let go of Law’s hair. Reasonably sure that Law would be fine for the moment, I turned back to the rest of the family.

Katherine had a small smile on her face as she watched Law, Pops tried to look innocent, and my brothers… I didn’t want to analyse what was going on with my brothers too closely. With an eyeroll I started herding them back towards the living room. I heard the coffee machine and thanked all the gods that Law was so considerate.

A few moments later he walked into the living room, loaded with a tabled (since when did I even _own_ such a thing), and placed it on the coffee table. It looked like he had gotten over the shock of being faced with my entire family quite well. Kathrine produced a bottle of juice from somewhere and gave me a questioning look. Of course; Annie wouldn’t drink coffee. The time it took me to grab a glass for Annie had been enough for Law to start a conversation about medicine with Mike. Oh _joy_ , more people to talk medical gibberish.

I settled in one of the chairs, just starting to get comfortable, when Carl turned to Kathine and announced: “You owe me twenty; told you he’s gay!” I paled. “You freaks had a bet about my sexuality?” Carl nodded and turned to my father: “And we had a pool on when you’d tell us. Pay up guys!”

Pop sighed exasperatedly but handed over another twenty, quickly followed by Danny. I looked at my dad sceptically: “I thought at least you would know better than to bet against a genius!” And I had thought he’d be more mature than the rest. He just shrugged: “It was worth a shot.” I sighed and decided to ignore the whole matter. If I'd even attempted understanding the thought process behind their bet, I'd just get a migraine.

 

It was another hour before Kathrine rounded up the guys and shooed them out of the flat with some feeble excuse about grocery shopping. I shot my step-mother a grateful smile. It had been a comfortable morning, but I would be glad to have Law for myself again.

Then Danny turned and pulled the floor from under my feet once again: “You’re expected at Grandma’s New Year’s dinner. Bring Law, that will please Bethany.” Then he started down the stairs and was out of sight before I could gather my wits for a proper reply. “I’ll pick you up around two on New Year’s Eve”, Mike added with a smirk. I heard Carl cackling from the corridor and slammed the door in their faces.

With a tired sigh, I dropped onto the couch and looked at Law. I hadn’t slept in way over twenty-four hours, and as much as I loved my family, they were exhausting. Law smiled at me tiredly. “I like your family”, he offered after a minute. I pulled him into a hug and placed a soft kiss on his hair. “They’re entertaining, I guess.”

Law laughed at that and reached for the TV remote “You look as tired as I feel.”, he said, and started scrolling through the recommended movies: “Let’s watch something stupid and go to bed, ok?” I nodded and settled more comfortable against him.

 

The next thing I consciously realised was that it was pitch black outside, the TV had automatically shut off at some point, and Law was dozing against my shoulder.

I untangled myself from his arms and shook him awake: “Get up, love. You should probably go home.” “Don’t want to…”, Law muttered, voice rough from sleep. I sighed and pulled out my mobile to check the time. I saw a text from Kathrine but didn’t bother to even look at the message.

“It’s almost midnight, so I guess you can sleep here”, I said more to myself than to Law, as he was already drifting off again. Mentally shrugging, I wrapped my arms around him and carried him over to the bedroom. Gently I laid him onto the sheets and started to pull off his pants.

He stirred, battling my hands away and mumbling unintelligibly. “Just trying to make you more comfortable, stupid. Then you can sleep.”, I explained, even if I wasn’t sure he could understand a word I said.

“Sleep, Law. We’ll worry about the rest of the world tomorrow”, I whispered against his hair and pulled him close as I draped the covers over us both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the Eustass Family. They were just what I needed to brighten the mood.
> 
> In case it was very confusing, here a mini-family tree:  
> Grandma Bethany is Kid’s grandmother on his father’s side.  
> His dad Keith, only referred to as Pop, has four sons from his first marriage, and a daughter.  
> Kathrine is Keith’s second wife and Annie's/ Annabelle's mother  
> The four brothers, descending in age: Danny, Mike, Kid, and Carl
> 
> (I didn't plan to have that many names start with K, but here we are...)  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	29. December 29 - Mommy Trafalgar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’ll be fine, everyone will be just fine.  
> This was supposed to be a light and fluffy Christmas fic. And while the plot ran away from me, I want to keep the fluffy and happy atmosphere, which is why this chapter solves some things a lot quicker than real live ever would. Hope you don’t mind.  
> Enjoy!

_Law’s POV_

 

I woke when Kid stirred beside me, muttering and untangling himself from the sheets. He was talking lowly into his mobile, and while I didn’t quite catch the words, he appeared overall unimpressed. Before I could ask what was wrong he had wrestled on a shirt and sweat pants and left the room.

Falling back into the pillows, I checked my own mobile. I hadn’t told my mother where I’d be the night, but apparently she wasn’t too worried. No message, no missed call. I sighed. Since I was up, I could as well get ready to face the day. I doubted I could have fallen asleep again if I tried.

Barefoot I wandered into the kitchen, where I assumed my boyfriend to be. The coffee machine was already humming and as I walked through the door, I watched Kid throw his mobile onto the counter with an annoyed hiss. “Trouble?”

Kid looked up: “Nah. Just my insufferable brother reminding me about the New Year’s Eve dinner.” He sighed and handed me a cup. With one hand he prepared another coffee, the other he wrapped around me, pulling me closer. I leaned against him, focusing on the comforting feeling of his body against mine and the coffee in my hand. I didn’t want to think about the lack of texts, didn’t want to think about facing my mother; or facing Kid’s extended family for that matter.

Unfortunately, Kid could be quite the merciless bastard. Pulling away from me after he finished his coffee, he focused a stern gaze on me. I raised an eyebrow but didn’t acknowledge that I _knew_ what he was about to say. “Law, you really need to talk to your mother.”

I felt my shoulders drop at his words. He was right, but I really didn’t want to. “It’ll be fine, Law. Trust me. She’s probably worried sick because you’ve not come home yesterday. I bet she’s just scared of losing you.” I snorted and shrugged: “Maybe…”

Kid laughed and picked the empty cup from my fingers. “Come on. Shower and then we’ll go over to yours. I’ll be there if you want me around for your talk”, Kid elaborated: “After all, I kind of forced you to deal with my family yesterday.” I smiled a little, but felt the tension rise in my stomach. This would not be an easy discussion, no matter how much Kid tried to sell it as such.

My mother could be rather stubborn if she wanted to, and I wasn’t convinced she wouldn’t be stubborn on this matter. It was in the family, I guessed.

 

Kid handed me a spare towel as I walked into the bathroom after him. On any other day, the prospect of showering with my very hot boyfriend would have been something to look forward to. I could have used the opportunity to try out some more of my _research_.

But today I really didn’t feel like doing more than showering. I sighed and adjusted the water temperature. I was so lost in my thoughts, I nearly jumped out of my skin when Kid placed his hand on my waist, pulling me close under the spray of the shower. “Relax, Law”, he murmured in my ear, reaching past me to pick up the shower gel with his free hand.

 

In the end, the shower was over quickly, and I was pulling on my jacket, getting ready to leave the house. “Can we walk to my place?”, I asked as I was putting my shoes on. Kid sighed beside me: “You’re trying to delay the inevitable, Law.” “I know…”

I was well-aware that I was trying to get out of talking with my mother if at all possible. Of course I also knew that I _couldn’t_ get out of it. I was shit scared that she wouldn’t give in and that I’d be forced to decide between Kid and my mother. I loved Kid, I truly did, but if my mother didn’t come around, I’d rather rip my own heart out than lose her.

My father had left when I was still a small child, and my mother had gone back to working and somehow pulled the two of us through. She had put her own needs on the backburner to make sure I could stay in school, giving me the chance of studying if I wanted to. I couldn’t just turn from her now. So no, if I was forced to choose between Kid and my mother, the decision was already made.

I could just hope it wouldn’t come to that.

 

I realised I had zoned out, when I became aware of Kid leaning against the door, waiting. I shrugged and followed him out of the door.

Further trying to delay the inevitable, I walked slowly, searching through my pockets for my cigarettes. I thought I had some left, despite smoking far too much the last few days. In the end, it was Kid holding out an almost full packet that saved me.

I lit a cigarette, and looked at my boyfriend: “So, about that New Year’s dinner…” Kid rolled his eyes: “Don’t get me started!” I laughed, but didn’t say anything else, patiently waiting for him to break. He rolled his eyes again: “Look… I tried to keep you a secret from my family at least until after New Year exactly because of the dinner. Now that they know, there is no way you’ll get around it.”

Kid flicked his own cigarette away, and headed for the bus stop. “There’s really no possibility I can get out of that invitation?” My boyfriend laughed out loud, before he loosely linked his arm with mine: “Absolutely not. My family is stubborn. They live by their own rules and seriously, they have a hard time understanding the word no. In their heads, there is no way that either of us might have had different plans for tomorrow.” I sighed. That had been the impression I got from the family when I met them the previous day.

Kid smiled: “It will be fine. Grandma Bethany’s dinners are always huge. No one will notice you’re even there. Just stick with me or Mike – you got along with him well enough yesterday, didn’t you?” I nodded mutely, a little overwhelmed with the prospect of a huge family dinner. My grandmother’s Christmas lunches were kind of crazy – and boring – but they were more of a walk-in-leave-again-after-an-hour kind of thing. Kid’s family dinner sounded like some kind of clan party.

“I don’t know how my mother works on New Year’s Eve, though”, I tried again. If my mother had the day off, and the upcoming talk didn’t go terribly wrong, I would have prefered to spend the time with her. Kid gave me an exhausted smile: “Then we’ll just have to bring her along. As I said, my family doesn’t understand no, and Grandma lives by the motto _the more the merrier_.” I wondered what would be worse, if my mother had the day off, or if she didn’t…

“Can we please walk to my place?” Kid just looked at me and lit another cigarette. “Look, this is not even about trying to get out of talking to her”, I began: “If I’m not entirely mistaken she had the late shift yesterday, and it’s still rather early. She’s an early riser, sure, but she likes her sleep. And I’d rather we don’t wake her up on top of having to talk with her about me being gay.”

Kid checked his mobile and had to agree, it was barely mid-morning. If we walked to my place, we would arrive at an almost reasonable time. My boyfriend nodded, and changed directions, casually walking as if the next few hours wouldn’t decide on whether we could keep our relationship up.

 

In the end, I almost regretted my decision of walking. It was freezing cold outside and we did have to go across almost half the city. I had gone for my warm winter coat, but by the time we rounded the corner to my street, I was still shivering. My fingers were frozen cold, and I was trembling when I pushed the key into the lock to open the front door.

As we walked up the stairs I started to warm up but kept on shaking with nerves. I opened the apartment door as silently as I could, Kid only a step behind me. My heart beat too fast as I slowly walked further into the flat. The light in the kitchen was on, so my mother must have been up.

“Mom..?”, I tentatively called and immediately heard a chair scraping over the floor in response. My mother’s hasty footsteps rang loud in my ears. I was frozen where I stood, Kid hidden in the shadow of the living room door. I wished he was beside me.

When my mother came into view, I felt myself switching from worried about the talk to worried about her in moments. She looked as tired as I had felt the previous day and her eyes were red and puffy. I felt my heartbeat rush in my ears. Then she had reached me and flung her arms around me, nearly knocking me off my feet.

I threw a confused look over my shoulder to where Kid stood, smiling softly. “Mom… Are you all right?”, I asked tentatively. She squeezed me a little tighter in response and started mumbling something against my shoulder. “Mom, I don’t understand a word. Let go. We go to the kitchen, get some tea and sit down. Then we talk, ok?” I felt her nod, then she reluctantly loosened her grip, almost as if she was afraid I’d disappear if she let go of me.

I was at a loss. The last time I had talked to her, she had babbled ignorant nonsense, and now she… Well, I wasn’t sure what was up with her now, if I was honest. I took hold of her shoulders and turned her around, pushing her back towards the kitchen, and once there, managed to have her sit down. I could hear Kid’s careful footsteps, as he followed us toward the kitchen, still staying out of sight of my mother, who sat with her back to the door.

Shrugging out of my coat, I put the kettle on and rummaged through the cupboards looking for tea.

When I placed the cup in front of her, she finally looked up. “Law, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said all those awful things. I was just…”, she stopped mid-sentence, shaking her head. “Surprised?”, I tried. She nodded weakly.

“I think I was so surprised because I saw you leave with that girl at Christmas, and those other girls that... And I guess I just… I know it’s wrong, but I just _assumed_ that you were straight”, she shrugged helplessly and took a sip of her tea, before continuing: “I’d like to meet your boyfriend. I want to show you that I meant it when I said I didn’t mean those awful things.”

I couldn’t help a small, relieved chuckle at her words. She was rambling, something she did sometimes when she was nervous. “Well, about that…”, I started, unsure how to explain to her that Kid was already _here_. There was a soft knock against the kitchen door frame.

My mother turned in her seat, eyes widening when she realised Kid standing there, smiling almost shyly. If I hadn’t been so tense still, I might have laughed at his bashful expression. Kid was neither shy nor bashful. He had dressed up, I only noticed then, electing to wear a dark grey button down and an almost tame leather jacket. Apart from his wild red hair he looked like a normal, decent, and nice guy. Well, he was a decent, nice guy. He just generally didn’t look _normal_.

My mother fixed him with a curious stare, and I watched him squirm a little under her intense gaze. Finally, she spoke: “So… You’re Eustass Kid, right?” He nodded. “He’s been with you the last two days.” It wasn’t a real question, but Kid still gave another short nod. My mother sighed: “I won’t lie to you, to either of you. I am still pretty shocked about this. I had expected to have grand-children at some point.”

“Mom!”, I screamed, mortified. She laughed then, offering me a warm smile: “I shouldn’t have said those things. I didn’t mean them, and I hope you can forgive me. I can admit, though, sometimes I thought another man would have been good for you.” I raised an eyebrow, silently judging her for even thinking she couldn’t have been enough. She laughed again and got up from her chair: “It’s almost lunch time, what do you think about some pasta?” Me and Kid grinned.

 

Over lunch my mother explained her work schedule for the next few days, and I was somewhat relieved that she would be working the late shift on New Year’s Eve. Maybe she could join us all next year. I blinked, slightly taken aback by my own thought process. It was far too early in my and Kid’s relationship to hope we would last until next winter.

“Kid’s family invited me for dinner on New Year’s Eve”, I explained, hoping to ease some of the guilt I could see in my mother’s eyes. I wasn’t sure whether she was still feeling bad about her words or because she would once again not be around for a holiday.

“Actually, I think they’d kidnap you from wherever you are, if you dared to not show up”, Kid murmured with a smirk. Unfortunately, my mother had heard him and now stared at him more than a little shocked.

“They’re fine. I met them, they are very nice. Just a little over-enthusiastic”, I hurried to explain. My mother still looked a bit suspicious, but didn’t say anything.

 

Kid went home soon after lunch, and me and my mother spent the rest of the day lounging in front of the TV, watching stupid quiz shows.

At some point I got up to get coffee, and when I came back, my mother looked at me, eyes focusing on my ear. Oh, right… My hand wandered up to my ear, self-consciously tugging at the silver ring. “Christmas present…”, I explained weakly.

My mother gave me a soft smile: “You really like him, don’t you?” I nodded, blushing a little, which made her laugh. I stuck out my tongue and sat back down. My mother placed her feet on my lap, and looked back at the TV.

“What would you have done if I didn’t accept it?”

An icy fear gripped my heart and for a second I forgot to breath. Swallowing audibly, I looked down into my coffee cup. “I don’t know. I would never turn against you. You are my mother. But it would have broken my heart to leave Kid. I don’t know where this relationship is going, or how long we will last. I’m just glad I didn’t have to choose. I love you, mom, you know that, right?”

My mother smiled and nodded, squeezing my free hand reassuringly. “Never stop asking yourself what you might be willing to give up for love, Law. His family and I may be ok with your relationship, but not everyone will be. Society can be cruel when they don’t understand something…” She trailed off and I wondered where her thoughts had been wandering off too. I didn’t think this was still about me and Kid.

I didn’t know a lot about my mother’s youth, only from the time she met my father, and now I wondered whether she had known a gay couple before, whether her reaction had partially been based on a fear, a memory, she preferred not to think about.

My mother noticed my concerned gaze, and lightly shook her head: “Don’t listen to your silly old mother. I know you boys will be fine. Don’t let anyone get in the way of your happiness.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy this chapter was hard to rewrite.  
> I wanted to wrap up the sub-plot about Law’s mother quickly, mainly because it’s a topic that could easily fill an entire fic, and it is – in the end – only a brief sub-plot. I wanted to work towards the last plot twist in this story, and I wanted to have the Eustass New Year’s Party being light and fun, not overshadowed with an argument between Law and his mother.  
> Law’s mother really was just shocked. And there are some people in her past that got the bad end of the stick, so to speak, when it came to being gay. –looks at yet another sub-plot which needs to be covered- -sighs-  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	30. December 30 - Shopping Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an all-new chapter. As I mentioned before I messed up the POV order, and had to put a lot of rework into some of the chapters. That ended with me having to change some of the structure, and in consequence, lead to this new chapter being required.  
> Fortunately, this means I can now show you what two other One Piece characters are up to in this AU. Tbh I’ve got a headcanon for most of the characters’ occupation in this AU – well, any that show up before the end of the Dressrosa arc anyway (ask me if you’re curious about anyone in particular).  
> Enjoy!

_Kid’s POV_

 

Sitting in my kitchen that morning, I allowed myself a tentative hope. As I had thought, Law’s mother had reacted badly out of shock and surprise, and she and Law seemed to be fine again.

Which left me with the uncomfortable truth that we would have to face grandma Bethany the next day. I had pretended that she wouldn’t notice Law among all the other people, but that had just been to calm down my boyfriend. There was very little that escaped Bethany’s notice, and she was a terrible gossip on her best days.

I flinched when my mobile started beeping, jolting me out of my thoughts, and I hastily grabbed for it to read the incoming message.

 

_Law: I don’t have anything to wear! Help!_

 

I blinked. Then I quickly dialled his number, giggling madly. Law picked up after the second ring, clearly distressed. “I’ve gone through my entire wardrobe, and there is nothing I would want to wear to meet your entire family!”, he said, and I could hear him shuffling around, probably still looking for something he deemed acceptable.

“And so you decided that asking me of all people is the best idea? Have you been paying attention to my clothes recently?”, I laughed into the phone, thinking about my bright red, fluffy coat and the general lack of shirts. I heard Law hesitate. Ah, now he’d realised.

“Don’t care”, he grumbled at last: “You’re still coming shopping with me. You know your family. You can help me find something they’ll like.” And he hung up on me. I sat in my kitchen, torn between laughing and rubbing my temple in frustration. Oh yes, I knew what Bethany would deem acceptable, but it wouldn’t make a difference. Law could look like he walked out of a model magazine, or he could show up in his hoodie, grandma would notice him and point his existence out to absolutely everyone.

My grandmother would take my being gay in stride, sure, but she would make a scene for us, especially because I wouldn’t bring a _girl_ to her New Year’s Dinner, like she had pressured me to do for years. If I could have gotten away with putting my boyfriend in a dress and become a convincing girl, I would have tried, just to limit the amount of teasing and gossiping from Bethany. Then again, it wouldn’t make a difference anyway, so why was I even thinking about it.

Somewhere in the back of my head, Izou gave me a very disapproving look. I sighed.

My mobile beeped again.

 

_Law: I’ll meet you at Shakky’s in an hour._

_Law: If you don’t make this harder than it has to be, I’ll even buy you coffee._

 

I laughed out loud as I placed my empty coffee cup in the sink and headed for the bathroom. Maybe shopping with Law wouldn’t be so bad after all.

 

When I walked into Shakky’s, Law was already there. Shakky laughed at something he said, and my boyfriend was tugging absently at one of his earrings – it was the silver one that I’d given him for Christmas – with a small, embarrassed smile. I grinned, walking up to the counter. Shakky noticed me first, turning her head and smiling brightly. There was a hint of mischief in her eyes, I was sure.

“Good morning, Kid.” I nodded in greeting, stepping up to Law and placed my arm on the shoulder closer to me. The gesture was friendly enough, if someone didn’t know we had a relationship. But Law surprised me, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me closer.

“I bullied him into going shopping to me, but I offered coffee in exchange”, Law said to Shakky, grinning broadly. “So, a double Espresso for you, and I guess a Cappuccino for Kid?”, the barista replied, and Law nodded.

As Shakky busied herself preparing our order, the door opened, letting in a gust of cold air and a whole flock of giggling girls. There was no more chance to talk with Shakky, and so we moved over, waiting for our to-go cups. I leaned against the counter and looked at Law. “So where did you hope to find clothes that are _appropriate_ for my family dinner?”

I was gloating, I knew, but right at this moment, Law presented a far too easy target not to use the opportunity. My boyfriend blushed, shot me a dark glare and muttered: “I hoped you could tell me!” I rolled my eyes fondly and took the cups Shakky handed over.

“The thing is, Law, I don’t even understand why you believe you don’t have anything fitting for tomorrow.” Law took his cup from me: “You’re not helping.” Grumbling, he walked out of the coffee shop, and I followed him with a soft smile. Once outside, Law lit a cigarette and took a first sip of his coffee. “Ok, let’s try this differently. What exactly do you think you _should_ be wearing for Bethany’s dinner?”, I tried to pacify him.

Law shrugged: “I realised I don’t really have a plain, black pair of jeans, and I figured that would be a good place to start.” I nodded slowly, unsure what my role in this little endeavour should be. If he was just looking for a pair of jeans, that was nothing he should need my help with.

Lighting my own cigarette, an idea struck me. The best place for any type of clothes was _Momoiro_. I usually didn’t go there anymore, because of a little incident with the owner, but I figured it would be the best place to find new clothes for Law. I just hoped Inazuma would manage the shop today, or this would be a very long afternoon.

 

Shakky’s coffee shop was only a few minutes’ walk from the main shopping street, and I had barely finished my cigarette when we reached the entrance to a narrow side street, housing _Momoiro_. I steered Law towards it with a hand on his elbow, ignoring his questioning glance.

 _Momoiro_ had a narrow doorway and only a small display window, but knew from experience that the entrance opened to a wide room, and the shop occupied three floors packed with all sorts of clothes. When we walked in, no one was behind the counter, but I could hear noise from the backroom.

“Inazuma, is that you?”, I hollered, keeping my fingers crossed. Law had started looking around the shop with a frown. The large room on the first floor was reserved for the more extravagant clothes: dresses and shirts in bright, glittering colour – for people of all shapes and sizes. I knew we would find something for Law on the upper floors, but first, I needed to find out who was handling the shop today.

The person working in the backroom stuck their head through the curtain separating the two rooms. The voluminous purple hair announced quite clearly that it was not Inazuma. My mood dropped, and I suppressed a sigh. No need to piss off Invankov before they even said hello.

Emporio Ivankov, sometimes known as Iva, was a rather impressive person. You couldn’t overlook them in a crowd if you tried. In addition to being _very_ tall, they usually wore killer high-heeled boots, and if that wasn’t enough, their purple hair shone like a beacon under the black light in the Red Force.

Hoping to avoid another incident, I looked at the rest of Ivankov’s outfit. It wasn’t a bulletproof way to tell you the name they were using, but generally gave a good indication whether they felt more feminine or masculine at the moment. Today looked like an Ivankov day.

 “My, my, my. Haven’t seen you around in a while, Kid”, Ivankov leered, looking me over. Then their eyes fell on Law, and a wide grin spread over their face: “Trafalgar Law? That really you?” My mouth dropped open: “You know them?”

How did a straight – well, mostly straight – guy get to know that many queer people? Izou made sense, because he worked in the Moby Dick sometimes, but Ivankov wasn’t someone you came across easily. They rarely went anywhere but the Oro Jackson if they were in town, and I didn’t think Law had ever been to that place.

My boyfriend had the decency to look mildly embarrassed. “You’d be surprised how many people you get to know when you spend time with Shakky”, he explained: “Though I haven’t seen Ivankov in years.”

I rubbed a hand over my face, sighing, before looking at Ivankov again. They had settled against the counter, and were now glancing from Law to me. “What brings you here, Kid?”, they asked finally, smile a little dimmed, and it was my boyfriend’s turn to sigh.

“My fault. His family invited me to dinner tomorrow, and I have nothing to wear”, Law explained. At his words, Ivankov’s smile brightened considerably. “Always knew you weren’t as straight as you pretended to be”, they said: “It would have been better if Inazuma was here today, they’re more suited to find dinner clothes, but I’ll figure something out for you, don’t worry. Any preference?”

I knew from experience that you had to stop Ivankov before they got started. The first time I had come into _Momoiro_ , I had been looking for a coat. A simple coat, I might add, and left with a bright red, fluffy one, as well as a number of shirts I only wore when I was feeling _very_ adventurous on a night out at the Red Force. Then again, despite the headache Ivankov had given me that afternoon, with their constant chatter and the tendency to do whatever they thought best, I ended up loving the red coat. Not that I’d _ever_ let Ivankov know that!

I was about to say something to attempt reigning in their enthusiasm, when Law beat me to it: “Something plain and simple, but elegant, Ivankov. And make the jeans black, without the glitter!” I laughed at Ivankov’s disappointed face, and watched them disappear up the stairs.

Settling down for the wait, Law linked his arm with mine and leaned his head against my shoulder. “Why is Ivankov angry with you?”, Law inquired in a low voice.

“Fucked up the pronouns one night at the Jackson. In my defence, I was so drunk I would have taken a lamp post for a person”, I explained: “By the time I realised my mistake I was lying on the ground with a black eye.” I shrugged. It wasn’t exactly my proudest moment. They had been dressed particularly feminine that night and used the name Iva. I had been so drunk I didn’t even _recognise_ them until they punched me for using the wrong pronouns.

Before Law could comment on my stupidity, Ivankov was back. They carried a veritable mountain of cloths in their arms, and I retreated to one of the chairs to settle down for a long wait while my boyfriend tried on what Ivankov had brought for him.

 

It took two hours and three cigarette breaks before Law and Ivankov agreed on an outfit. No one asked me, of course, even if I had been dragged along to help Law. Not that I would disagree with their selection.

Ivankov had convinced Law to go for soft, black cotton pants instead of jeans, combined with a dark red dress shirt and a grey wool pullover. The outfit suited Law and fit well with his long, black winter coat with the fur collar.

All in all, the shopping trip had been a success. Nevertheless, I was glad when we stepped out of _Momoiro_ and started heading for one of the fast food restaurants. Ivankov had sent us off with the promise to return soon, so they could select a _proper club outfit_ for Law. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what Ivankov would put together for Law. It would either be outrageously colourful with a side of disgusting glitter, or it would look so damnable perfect that Law would never make it to the club before I jumped him.

 

Law bought me a late lunch to repay me for tagging along, and we settled at a small table, the bag from _Momoiro_ carefully stored under the bench.

“Happy?”, I asked between two bites, and Law nodded: “Yes. I didn’t know Ivankov was back in town. Last thing I knew, they were heading north to shake up the fashion scene there.”

“Inazuma opened the shop two years ago. Not sure exactly when Ivankov joined. I first met them in the Red Force and only later learned they had lent the money to Inazuma”, I replied: “Now the two are managing the shop together.”

“So, about tomorrow…”, Law changed the topic, but didn’t seem to know how to finish the sentence. I wiped my fingers on a paper napkin and met Law’s slightly worried gaze. “It’s a bit more than an hour’s drive to my grandmother’s place. Mike will pick me up at two, so we’ll probably be at your place by half past. Everything else we’ll figure out as we go.” I grinned: “Try not to worry too much, you’ll be just fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I brought Ivankov into this too (yay for new tags). I think if you’d give me enough time and I’d write another few stories in this universe, I’d probably end up adding most of the characters in here somewhere...  
> As there are no devil fruits in this AU, I think non-binary fits Ivankov and Inazuma best. There is simply no way for them to change their biological gender at a whim like in canon. Also, while Iva is the main designer behind Momoiro, I headcanon Inazuma as the tailor (I mean, Snip-Snip-Fruit... wasn’t exactly a big mental leap).  
> I sincerely hope I never messed up the pronouns. If I did, please let me know! I don’t have a beta reader, so sometimes things will escape my notice. I triple checked, though, so hopefully we’ll be good.  
> I took quite some time to decide on a name for Ivankov’s shop. Newkama would – for my brain at least – point to a more limited clothes selection, and I’m really not a fan of Kamabakka. So I settled for Momoiro.  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	31. December 31 - Family Dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the madness begin!  
> Enjoy!

_Law’s POV_

 

My mother was still home when I started getting ready for the dinner with Kid’s family. She leaned against the doorframe to my room and gave me an approving look. “I knew you wanted to find something to wear for today, but I didn’t expect you to look so nice! Maybe that family of Kid’s should invite you more often if that’s the result”, she said with a teasing grin: “Where did you even find this?”

I threw a glance at her through my mirror: “Remember I told you about Ivankov? I met them when I was meeting Shakky for coffee a few years ago. They are back in town and opened a clothes shop together with someone called Inazuma.” My mother frowned for a second, clearly trying to remember the name. She had never met Ivankov, and if Shakky hadn’t mentioned them, my mother would only have heard about them once, maybe twice.

“Do they…”, my mother started, hesitantly, clearly careful to use the pronouns I had used: “Do they sell women’s clothes as well?” I laughed, and turned around, picking up my mobile from where it lay on the bed. “I think?”, I replied: “We didn’t look around too much, Ivankov picked a few things for me to try. Kid should know though.”

 

_Law: Are there any women’s clothes available at_ Momoiro _?_

_Law: My mother wants to know._

 

Kid’s reply was instantaneous, and I grinned. I could clearly picture the horror on his face.

 

_Kid: Yes. Don’t tell her though. If Ivankov gets their hands on her, she’ll never be the same again!_

_Kid: My brother’s got stuck in traffic, so we’ll be around ten minutes late._

 

“Kid says he’d love to show you the place. He assures me there is a women’s selection”, I told my mother. That was for dragging me along to a family dinner without asking for my opinion, I thought, a little vengefully.

I checked the time, then shoved my mobile into the pocket of my pants. Since Mike was late, I’d have time for another coffee. My mother followed me as I headed for the kitchen. While I prepared the coffee, I explained: “Ivankov is very… you can’t really describe them. So if you decide to go to _Momoiro_ , please take me or Shakky along. No one should face them without someone else’s support.”

“Sometimes I’m not sure whether the people you meet are actually nice or terrifying”, my mother said, reaching up to get herself a cup and giving me a slightly amused, slightly worried glance. I grinned: “Bit of both, but in a good way?” She just shook her head and got herself a coffee.

Feeling my mobile vibrate in my pocked, I took it out to read the latest text from Kid.

 

_Kid: Leaving now_

 

“Mike and Kid should be here in ten minutes. Want to come down to meet them?”, I asked, but my mother shook her head. “I would love to, but I can’t. I need to get ready for work”, she said: “Please remember to thank them for the invitation and send them my regards. And be polite!”

“I’m not twelve, mom…”, I said, rolling my eyes, but she just smiled.

Slipping into my shoes and grabbing my coat of the hook, I headed downstairs, planning to have a cigarette before Kid got here. Since my mother had made it abundantly clear that she knew about my bad habit anyway, there was no real use in hiding it anymore.

 

I had just flicked the butt of my smoke away, when a car rounded the corner, slowly rolling towards where I was standing. When it came to a halt, the passenger side window opened, and Mike shouted from the driver’s seat: “Get in! Kid saved you shotgun.” I grinned and did as I was told.

I only caught a glimpse at the back of the car before Mike was gunning the engine, having me pressed back into my seat. Huh, looked like a bit of a mad driver this one. “Slow down, for God’s sake”, Kid shouted from the backseat: “Or I’ll puke all over the gifts!”

Mike laughed manically, but slowed the car to a more reasonable speed once we were back on the main road. I looked over my shoulder. Kid was sitting behind me beside a huge bag of presents. Frowning, I asked: “Kid, please tell me we shouldn’t have gotten a present yesterday!” My boyfriend laughed, but shook his head. “Pop and the rest haven’t had a chance to see Granddad and Nanna for Christmas yet, and because the other car is full with my other brothers and a toddler, Mike got bullied into present delivery.”

I sighed with relieve and turned back to face the road. That was when I finally realised the music thrumming along in the background and turned a wide-eyed stare at Mike. Kid’s brother tapped his fingers along to the heavy beat of _Queens of the Stone Age_ , humming. Mike looked ordinary at best, maybe even a little plain, something underlined by the thinly framed glasses he wore.

Noticing my stare, Mike offered me a smirk: “What? You thought I’d listen to Mozart?” I could only shrug, a little embarrassed by my – premature and obviously wrong – assumption. My reaction had Mike laughing: “I do like classical music, although Mozart isn’t exactly my favourite. But for driving? Nothing better than a strong bass to keep you alert.”

“Can we turn up the volume?”, Kid asked from the backseat and I grinned enthusiastically. “What else you got on that playlist?”, I wanted to know, always interested to find new bands and songs I could add to my own collection.

Mike adjusted the volume, but kept it low enough to keep a conversation going. I looked back at Kid, who was settling into his seat with a fond eye roll, which I took as permission to thoroughly interrogate Mike about his taste in music and his recently completed studies.

 

The drive went by quick once me and Mike had fallen into an easy conversation, Kid dozing on the backseat. I only remembered what I was about to face when Mike turned off the main road and started following a narrow driveway up towards a luxurious mansion. I felt my jaw drop. _That_ was where Kid’s grandmother lived?

As we were rolling closer, I could see multiple cars parked beside a smaller building and a brightly lit garden. Fairy lights illuminated the trees, and the paths through the garden was framed by small fire places and glowing, round lamps. The main house was huge, one of those old mansions you usually only ever saw on TV.

Kid, who had apparently woken just in time, chuckled lowly. “Ah, yes, the Eustass family estate”, he said: “In case you couldn’t already tell, grandma Bethany comes from old money. According to Pop she put in a lot of effort to teach her children about hard work, but as they grew up it became a bit hard to believe, given she never had to work a single day in her life – still spent lot of time as a seamstress in the old days, as far as I know, though.”

I could only gape as Mike pulled into an empty spot and got out of the car. I had thought Kid’s flat was luxury, especially if you compared it to the one I shared with my mother. But nothing could have prepared me for the sight of the Eustass estate. I was trying to collect my thoughts while I was getting out of the car myself, suddenly infinitely grateful for the outfit I had purchased the previous day. Regardless of what Kid said, in my jeans and hoodie, I would have stood out like a sore thumb in a place like this.

 

Kid must have texted one of his family that we were about to arrive, because Kathrine met us on the way to the porch, a sleepy Annie on her hips. The little girl smiled brightly at me, reaching out her arms and I took her of her mother’s grip when Kathrine gave a nod. Thankfully there was no hair-pulling this time, and I settled the yawning child against my shoulder. “Don’t get any ideas, sunshine. I’m taken”, I murmured against her head, but Annie just bubbled something unintelligible and cuddled closer.

I turned to Kid and saw him hastily put his mobile back into his pocket. “ _Please_ tell me you didn’t just take a photo...”, I groaned, but he just grinned and took a careful step away from me. As if I could do anything with a sleeping four-year-old in my arms.

“Keith has forbidden any of your brothers to tell Bethany about you and Law. We just told her you’d bring a friend”, Kathrine said to Kid, as we walked towards the house: “So you can decide how you want to introduce him. Don’t count on her not guessing, though. You know how she is.”

I turned a rather murderous stare at my boyfriend. Hadn’t he said that we wouldn’t attract attention between all the people?” Kid shrugged, a fake-innocent smile on his face. “If we can keep it from her until after dinner we should be fine. Once the _gathering_ is over, any teasing from her part will be limited by the lack of audience.” That didn’t calm me one bit, and I wondered whether Kathrine had handed Annie over so willingly to prevent me from ripping Kid’s head off.

Our arms full of presents and a child, we entered the house and headed for what I could only assume was a drawing room. As Kid had predicted, it was full of people, all standing together in small groups. Despite the mass of guests, I could make out Kid’s father, standing beside his two other sons and a woman that looked like she must have been his sister. Just as we were heading for the group, an elder lady joined them, and I didn’t need Kid’s whispered words to _know_ that his was his grandmother.

Bethany Eustass was one of those people who could command an entire room without trying. Her grey hair was short, showing off delicate features and bright blue eyes. She was dressed in dark green suit trousers that shimmered slightly in the light and a soft, white turtleneck. Her attentive gaze swept over the crowd until it landed on our small group making our way towards her.

She was saying something to Carl when her eyes settled on me, and she paused, crocking her head slightly and fixing me with a piercing stare. Then she smiled, and I desperately wished to be anywhere but in this grand room, with those eyes turned on me.

Kid had noticed, too, and gently pushed me onwards with a hand on my elbow. “Relax”, he murmured: “She’ll leave you in peace once you’ve been introduced. Her main focus will be on Mike.”

“Kid, hello. Oh and Mike!”, Bethany called out once we got closer, bringing the attention of the people close by down on us. I started to see why Kid wanted to keep our relationship a secret. His grandmother had a clear voice that carried through a room, without her having to shout, and although I was rather intimidated by her, I took a tentative liking. Mike was quickening his steps, obviously trying to prevent his grandmother from drawing further attention to us, and I silently thanked him.

“Oh Mike, I’m so proud of you!”, Bethany gushed, as she kissed his cheeks in greeting: “ _Drum_ has got such a good reputation! I was a little worried when Kureha announced that child Tony as new head of paediatrics, but as it turned out, he’s great. Have you met him yet?”

I felt my head starting to spin. Kid had said Mike was working at a well-known clinic, but neither him nor his brother had ever mentioned its name. _Drum_ , and it’s leading doctor Kureha, were known to have the best surgeons in the entire country. And it was that hospital I dreamed of working in at some point, too. Kid steadied me under the pretence of rearranging Annie in my arms, asking if she wasn’t too heavy.

Before I could quite gather my thoughts, Bethany moved her focus from Mike to me and Kid. “Welcome!”, she said, smiling brightly and still a little threateningly: “Keith mentioned you would bring a friend, Kid. I’m pleased. I was concerned when I learned you and Killer didn’t speak anymore.” From the corner of my eyes I saw Kid flinch at the name, and I wondered who Killer could be. Then Bethany spoke again.

“I see your hands are a little full at the moment”, Bethany smiled: “I’m Bethany Esmeralda Eustass, Kid’s grandmother. Alas, no one has mentioned your name yet, young gentleman?” “Thank you for inviting me. My name is Law Trafalgar”, I began, but hesitated at the recognition in Bethany’s eyes. “Trafalgar… That name does ring a bell, somehow. Is it your mother’s name, or your father’s?”

“My father’s”, I replied hesitantly, unsure where this was going: “My mother’s maiden name is DeWater.” Bethany nodded slowly, but evidently noticed my confusion and didn’t pursue the topic further. “I’m very happy to have you with us tonight”, Bethany continued: “As you may guess, I do love to have many guests.” She smiled before giving us a nod and heading off to terrorise the next group of people in her path.

Kathrine looked from my pale face to Kid’s darkened expression and sighed. “I think I should get to a calm room and wake Annie. She’ll never forgive me if she misses dinner”, she said and carefully lifted the child from my arms before disappearing through the crowd and out of the room.

Mike had picked up on the odd mood as well, and was elbowing his father, nodding towards the woman who had so far been silently standing beside us. With a muttered _oh right_ , Keith gently pulled her forward by the shoulder: “Law, this is my sister Elena Eustass. Elena, this is Kid’s friend from school, Law Trafalgar.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Law. Please call me Elena, or Ella, that works too.” After the force of nature that was Bethany Eustass, Elena was like a calming breeze. She spoke with a gentle voice, and offered me an equally gentle smile. “The pleasure is all mine”, I replied and took her hand. “I have to apologise for my mother”, Keith cut in: “In all my memory, I can’t recall her ever being anything but straight-forward. If you need a few moments to catch your breath, dinner starts in about half an hour”

Grateful for the excuse, I nodded, and turned to Kid. There were still tense lines around his eyes, but he gave me a small smile and motioned me to follow him. We left the drawing room through a set of glass doors leading to the garden, and then down a secluded path to a magnificent greenhouse.

Like the trees, the plants in the greenhouse were covered in fairy lights, leading a visitor towards a secluded corner where a bench, some chairs and a small table were located. “I used to sit on this bench when I was a child, my mother reading me stories about mermaids and pirates, and knights and dragons”, Kid said with a soft chuckle. Then he turned towards me, pulling me close with a hand on my hips, the other coming to rest against my jaw.

“Are you ok? Nanna is a lot to take in, and you looked like you were ready to bolt before we even got into the house”, Kid asked, his concerned gaze wandering over my features. I hadn’t forgotten how he had gone rigid, but figured he _really_ didn’t want to talk about Killer at this moment. A story for another day, then, I guessed.

Trying to calm Kid a little, I smiled and leaned a little closer: “I wonder why she asked about my name…” Kid shrugged: “No idea. Nanna is very well informed about a great many things, so she could have heard the name anywhere. If you’re really curious, ask her. But wait until after dinner, or the whole family will know her answer.”

I shuddered at the thought, and felt Kid’s laugh against my chest. For the first time since Mike had picked me up, I took the time to have a proper look at my boyfriend. He looked gorgeous under the twinkling fairy lights, red hair glowing and I leaned up to place a kiss on his lips.

Kid sighed against me, pulling me closer and wrapping his arms around me. What had started out as an innocent peck quickly turned filthy when Kid’s fingers wandered from my waist to my ass and I could feel his half-hard cock pressing against my stomach. “You drive me crazy”, Kid murmured between kisses: “Thought I’d rip those pretty new clothes off you right in Ivankov’s shop.”

His lips had started wandering along my jaw to my ear, and down along my neck as he spoke and breath caught in my throat. “I’ll have to fend off my female relatives the entire night”, he continued, and I could hear how much this affected him, could hear the strain in his voice to keep himself in check. Knowing it was because of me still made my heart race.

I buried my hands in Kid’s hair, pulling his head back up so I could kiss him again. “You’ll ruin my hair”, he laughed breathlessly but made no motion to stop me. “And you’ll ruin my reputation as a respectable young man. We’re even”, I replied between kisses. Would anyone notice if we missed dinner? Would anyone care if we just stayed here, in our own little fairytale, in a greenhouse illuminated by dozens of twinkling lights? Would anyo-

“Law? Kid?”, Danny’s voice cut through my rambling thoughts, and Kid snarled in frustration. “Kiddles, if you’re in there you better get your asses to the dining room or Nanna will kick up a fuss!”

“Fuck off, Danny. We’re on the way!”, my boyfriend snapped and tried in vain to straighten his hair. With a small huff, I batted his hands away and quickly fixed the red locks. “Thanks.” I just smiled and followed Kid back towards the main house.

When we entered the dining room, I realised that Danny had probably called us just at the right time. Roughly half of the guest were already seated on a long table and the rest was slowly filtering in through the door. Had arrived any later, Bethany would certainly have noticed our entrance and remarked upon it.

 

The dinner turned out to be surprisingly quiet and drawn out affair. With the exception of Bethany announcing the grand success of the newly appointed surgeon Mike, as well as the pregnancy of one of Kid’s cousins, conversation was kept among those seated immediately beside each other. I could see Kid’s cousin fiddle with her napkin as all eyes turned to her, a weak smile tugging at her lips. I was eternally grateful Keith had ensured none of his sons would spill the beans to Bethany. According to Kid, his grandmother had her ears everywhere, and from what I could tell, she loved gossip.

Kathrine and Kid had taken their seats on either side of me, keeping me mostly hidden from Bethany’s eyes and worked as a shield against any other nosey relative who might have tried to question me about my presence, life, and anything in between.

I spoke little, my thoughts frequently returning to Bethany’s enquiry about my family name. My mother had taken my father’s name when they married, and hadn’t bothered to give it up when they divorced. For the first time I wondered why that was. In my limited experience, women usually reclaimed their maiden name.

I also wondered what my mother’s live had been like before she met Joe Trafalgar. My father was, understandably, a bit of a sore subject for my mother, so we didn’t talk much about him and her time with him, either. With her never mentioning her live before Joe, I realised I really didn’t know much about her. I hardly ever saw anyone from my family, except grandma, but she was my father’s mother, Joe having disappeared not only from my life, but from everyone else’s, too, when he divorced my mother.

Shaking my head to dislocate the glooming thoughts, I smiled at Kid when he held out a cup of coffee to me. The gathering, as my boyfriend had described the dinner earlier, was slowly dissolving, people returning to the drawing room or retreating to one of the smaller saloons I could make out behind newly open doors.

I held onto my cup as I followed Kid out of the dining room to grab our coats. It was still cold outside, and if Kid didn’t intend to return to the greenhouse, we would freeze off our fingers in the icy winter air.

Settling against the terrace’s stone railing. Kid held out his cigarettes and I gratefully took one. I hadn’t even realised how long I had gone without one. Bethany’s presence had kept me on my toes and I hadn’t been sure whether the Eustass family was supposed to know about mine and Kid’s habit. Apparently it was either irrelevant, or my boyfriend simply didn’t care, though.

“So, what now?”, I asked after a few moments of comfortable silence, and turned my head to watch Kid. “Nanna always has a private firework organised, starting exactly at midnight, which”, he interrupted himself to check the time on his mobile: “Will be in only a few minutes.”

I could already see the first guests making their way towards the terrace and Kid quickly took my hand, leading me away from the railing and further into the garden. This time, however, we didn’t stray far from the house, just a few steps along the main path, so we had some space without bothering anyone with our smoking.

 

I shuffled closer to Kid, trying to absorb some of the warmth he always radiated. Faintly, I could make out church bells ringing in the distance. I could hear the guests laughing and chatting. Bethany’s voice rang out over the garden, starting the countdown to midnight. Kid flicked his cigarette into one of the nearby fires.

_“Five!”_

“Want to give Nanna something to talk about?”, Kid asked with a grin.

_“Four!”_

I looked up at him, answering his grin with one of my own.

_“Three!”_

“She’ll be furious”, I pointed out, still smiling but took a step towards to my boyfriend.

_“Two!”_

Kid wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer.

_“One!”_

“Make a wish…”, Kid whispered against my lips.

_“Zero!”_

I was lost to the world, completely absorbed into my own little bubble of happiness, as Kid kissed me softly and the sky lit up under the first colourful explosions of the firework.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this chapter got some major rework. How did it ever even get that long? What the hell! Oh, and my muse slipped in yet another background plot. What the hell?!!  
> So yes, this is Bethany Eustass. There will be an explanation as to why she was so interested in Law’s name in the next chapter, which will continue right were we left off. OP Wikia says that Law’s real name would be Water D. Law, which he keeps a secret, but for this story I chose the adapted name DeWater as his mother’s maiden name. 
> 
> I had to add so many tags for this chapter! OMG!!  
> I reall hope you like this one, it took quite some effort...  
> –looks at story- What is a consistent writing style?  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	32. January 1 - Happy New Year

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we continue where we left off.  
> Enjoy!

_Kid’s POV_

 

I pressed closer to Law as he returned the kiss, blissfully unaware of what was going on around us. Chances were, no one had even taken notice, the fireworks above providing a nice distraction.

Law pulled away, still smiling: “Love you…” “Love you too.”

I carefully looked around. As I had thought, most of the guests hadn’t noticed us. I could make out Kathrine smirking at me, and a few of my female cousins looking positively distraught. I grinned a little wider. Law was _mine_.

Of course, the peaceful atmosphere couldn’t last.

“Kid!”, a furious voice called out over the garden. “Here she comes”, I murmured, bracing myself for the mother of all dressing downs. Nanna stalked down the steps leading into the garden, her grey hair reflecting the firework’s colours and giving her an almost otherworldly aura. By now, all eyes were on us.

“Kid Eustass, how could you?”, she snapped once she reached us: “I repeatedly voiced my wish to see you bring friends. For the last three years I expected you to bring a girl along to my New Year’s dinner. But there was never even a whisper of a girl in your life. Of course, now I see why. Still, the year you have _finally_ found someone that managed to capture your heart and interest, you don’t even introduce him as your boyfriend? How dare you do this to me!”

I couldn’t form words, torn between taking a careful step back from my fuming grandmother, and outright laughing in her face. Either wasn’t a particularly good idea, if I was honest. In the end, it was my father who saved us: “Mamma, I think he was trying to avoid a scene.”

Nanna let out a most undignified huff: “Well, at least I succeeded in ruining that for him then.” I could feel Law press himself closer against me and became once more aware that everyone was staring at us. Nanna ignored the hushed conversations in her back and turned to my boyfriend: “You two ruined a lot of fun for me, young gentleman. Nevertheless, welcome to the family!” She smiled one of her most intimidating smiles and walked back towards the terrace. I let out a sigh of relief. “Well, that went better than anticipated”, I said and my father nodded in agreement.

“I originally came over to tell you that we will stay the night. Mike is on his way to roaring drunk, and I just had too much to risk a breathalyser”, Pop explained, and I rolled my eyes. _Typical_. It was the same every damn year. On the way to the Eustass estate we’d pick drivers who should steer clear of the alcohol for a night, and by the time midnight rolled around, the designated drivers were drunk. And since anyone else with a driver’s licence had been drinking anyway, we always got stuck at Nanna’s.

With a sigh I turned to Law: “Sorry about that. I should have known our drivers would forget their tasks halfway through the evening.”  Law shrugged good-naturedly, and I relaxed a little.

 

As the fireworks came to their glorious final, we made our way back towards the house. Most of the guests were bound to leave soon, and tradition had it that the closest family members would all settle in one of the saloons.

Nanna had a couple of rooms she hosted guests and more distant relatives in; the main dining room, the drawing room, and a handful of tastefully furnished sitting rooms. However, the close family – being her two children and their respective families – usually retreated to one of the cosier rooms once the rest of the guests had departed. It was one of those saloons I was leading Law to now.

Kathrine was already there, a cup of steaming tea in her hand. “Mind if we join you?”, I asked before settling down on a worn-out leather sofa. Anyone who had met my grandmother wouldn’t believe she even owned worn out furniture, but to quote her: leather sofas have to be used, otherwise they’re stiff and uncomfortable.

Leaning back against the soft leather I had to wholeheartedly agree. Law was fixing himself a coffee from the pot on the side table before joining me.

 

One by one my brothers and finally my father joined us, but it was almost one in the morning when Nanna and aunt Ella walked through the door. Law was on his third cup and I wondered whether he’d ever be able to sleep. Mike was snoring softly in one of the arm chairs, and Kathrine was talking in a low voice to Danny, a rather serious look on his face. I frowned. There was only one topic that warranted such a grave expression so late in the night – Danny’s return to prison. Having him around us, I had almost forgotten he still had a year to go before they’d finally release him.

His sentence repeatedly caused tension in the family, especially when my father had married again and had yet another child.

It had been one of the reasons I insisted on moving out when I changed schools.

Me and Danny had always been close, and the events leading to his imprisonment had ripped a deep wound into our family. The peaceful atmosphere among us was a white lie; we could only remain civil for so long before one of us inevitably said something wrong and all hell broke loose. As long as we knew the time together was limited, and there was a fixed end in sight, we could behave. Put us in a room without telling us when we could get out and we were at each other’s throats within the hour.

I cast a concerned glance at Danny, who met my eyes and shook his head. Yeah, better we didn’t try to talk about it, or all pretence of civil behaviour would be washed down the drain…

 

“Everyone gone?”, Katherine asked Ella, and handed her a cup of tea. Ella nodded and dropped down on an empty chair with a heavy sigh: “Thankfully. There’s always one or two who just don’t get the hint and linger.” Nanna nodded solemnly at that, having dealt with that particular issue far too many times to still be unsettled by it.

Law had emptied his latest coffee and was now cuddling up to my side. I lifted an arm to allow him to settle more comfortably and hugged him close. I saw Nanna smile at our display and inwardly rolled my eyes. I just knew she was plotting some form of revenge for her spoiled fun. I just hadn’t figured out whether she would strike tonight or tomorrow, or maybe on different day altogether.

Apparently, Law had noticed her glance, too, and now focused his eyes on her. “Bethany, if you don’t mind me asking”, he started, and I just knew he was going to ask about her cryptic reaction to his name: “Why were you so curious about my surname?” _Bingo_ , I thought and chanced a glance to Danny and Kathrine. They seem to have finished their own conversation and were now looking interested at whatever Nanna may have had to say.

“Ah, I wondered when you’d approach me with this”, Nanna said with a small smile: “Before I reply, let me ask you a question in return. How much do you know about your family history?” I raised an eyebrow and turned my head to Law, who looked at my grandmother with a slight frown.

“My mother doesn’t like to talk about her past. When my father left us – and effectively abandoned his entire family- “, Law paused, clearly trying to find the right words: “She rarely speaks of the time Joe was still around, and I’ve never heard her utter a word about her life before him.” I stared at Law, slightly shocked. He had never mentioned his father, but I didn’t expect the story to be quite so… crass.

Looking back towards Nanna, I noticed that she didn’t seem too surprised by Law’s revelation. Oh, this would get nasty.

“If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say your mother’s full name is Laeticia DeWater-Trafalgar”, Nanna stated, completely calm. I turned my head to Law, who’s jaw had dropped. He was staring at my grandmother with a look of utter shock. I figured that meant Nanna’s guess had been a hundred percent accurate then. I sighed. This was going to get _very_ nasty.

“How… how do you _know_?”, Law asked, completely flabbergasted. Nanna took a careful sip of her tea before placing the cup down on the coffee table in front of her. “I guess if your mother never revealed her family history to you, it’s not really my place to do so in her stead”, she said in a levelled tone: “The short version is that the only daughter of the DeWater family, a noble and rather old family indeed, ran away with a commoner and was thus expelled from the clan, never to return or set foot into her hometown Flevance again.”

Law dropped his – thankfully empty – cup. He had gone pale, his mouth slightly agape, and at a loss for words. I could relate. If he had had no clue about his family’s history, Nanna just dropped a bomb on him. And as always, my grandmother’s timing was perfect, because Law and his mother were still reeling from their fight and so Law couldn’t just go and ask her about her heritage.

Before anyone else could speak up, Nanna continued: “It’s been years since that particular incident, and the wide consensus among the old families is that the head of DeWater acted irrationally. For quite some time, the whereabouts of Laeticia were unknown, but whispers claimed she settled down somewhere around here. Trafalgar is not a common surname, and when you introduced yourself, I was relatively sure you must have some connection to Joe Trafalgar and Laeticia. Of course, you then confirmed that for me quite nicely.”

Silence descended over the room as Nanna finished her tale, Law still a bit green around the gills, and I figured that it was as good a time as any to get up and to sleep. My family had certainly scared Law enough. The worn leather groaned when I got up, stretching and looking down at my boyfriend.

Law was slowly recovering, opening and closing his mouth a few times before he spoke again: “Do you know where Joe is?”, he asked finally, and my heart went out for him. How he hadn’t had a mental breakdown in my grandma’s saloon was beyond me. I remembered how messed up I was when my family went to shit right before my eyes. I could barely form words anymore then, raging and screaming at the unfairness of it all… And here was Law, formulating proper sentences.

“Sadly, no”, Nanna replied: “He spent some time in Saboady, but then the rumour mill lost track of him.” Law nodded, seemingly calm with the entire situation, but I wasn’t convinced.

Hoping to prevent my grandmother from turning anyone else’s life upside down, I yawned audibly, drawing everyone’s focus to me, before turning to Law: “Not sure whether you’ll be able to sleep after all the coffee you had, but I’m ready for bed.” I held out a hand to Law, who gripped it tightly, betraying his cool demeanour to me, and pulled my boyfriend to his feet, leading him from the room.

 

Law was quiet while we walked through the corridors of the Eustass estate, and he was silent as we got ready for bed. When I slipped under the covers after him, he was lying on his back, stiff as a board, every muscle rigid with tension.

Trusting that he knew he could talk to me if he wanted, I settled comfortably on my side, facing him, and placed a careful hand on his arm. Law flinched as if I’d hit him, but didn’t say anything. I wanted to apologise for Nanna, wanted to say anything to make things better, easier for him, but knew there was nothing I could do. I shuffled closer, almost touching him, and closed my eyes.

I was just drifting off when Law finally moved, wrapping his long fingers around my own. In turn, I wrapped our linked hands around him and pulled him into a hug. Whatever thoughts were turning around in my boyfriend’s head, he seemed determined to deal with them on his own for the time being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy... When I added the Laeticia DeWater plot line I was really unsure whether I could settle it properly into the main story line. It was a late addition and only part of the rewrite, but it gives me the opportunity to wrap up some loose ends that I had actually overlooked in the first version. Flevance was not originally part of this story, mainly because Law’s back story simply didn’t exist when I wrote the first version of December Fairytale, and the city’s existence in this AU is more of an honourable mention than anything relevant.  
> Bethany Eustass is quite a woman. As I said before, she’s got eyes and ears pretty much everywhere. I wouldn’t want to get on her bad side if I’m honest...  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love.


	33. January 2 - Laeticia DeWater-Trafalgar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re going to diverge quite a bit from the original story line here. This is – again – due to the POV mix up; and also because I want to wrap up the DeWater story line, which was not originally part of December Fairytale.  
> Small warning: This chapter contains mostly dialogue, I hope you’ll forgive me.  
> Enjoy!

_Law’s POV_

 

When Mike had dropped me off at home the day before, my mother had already been at work.

I had welcomed the empty apartment, appreciating the chance to replay my discussion with Bethany Eustass. Now, the morning after, I was still reeling from her tale. I always guessed there was something dark in my mother’s past stopping her from ever talking about her family. She never said she was an orphan, so she technically hadn’t lied to me. And if what Bethany had said was true – and I was inclined to believe her – any connection to the DeWater family had been cut off from their side. It would have been no use telling me about them, as there was no chance that they would ever be part of my life.

And if I was honest, I doubted I would have known what to do with the information if I’d been given it earlier. Even now, I didn’t quite know what I should think. Me and my mother lived a happy life for the most part, but it was also a life of constant financial strain. Knowing my mother came from an old family, and thus probably from a family with a sizable fund, it made me rather angry to think no one stepped up when Joe left to help a young single mother.

Instead to reach out to their lost daughter, my mother’s family must have chosen not to get involved. Of course, I couldn’t be sure whether my mother would have accepted their help if had they offered it.

Rubbing my eyes, I took a sip of my coffee, staring out over the city. It was mid-morning and my mother would be up soon. I was unsure whether I should mention Bethany’s words to her. We were still trying to find a way to settle back into our daily life after the fight, and I wasn’t convinced the fragile balance could take me asking about the DeWater clan.

On the other hand, my mother had a right to know that _I knew_. Keeping something like this a secret would likely lead to yet another disaster when I’d inevitably slip up.

I was just lighting a cigarette, still debating what to do, when the balcony door opened and my mother stepped out. She was holding a steaming cup and cast a mandatory disapproving glance at my cigarette. I grinned faintly. “So, how was New Year’s?”

I watched her face carefully, trying to find any sign of worry or tension. If she came from an old family, the name Eustass must have meant something to her right from the beginning. Well, except if the name had become common, which I somehow didn’t believe.

Deciding to just take the leap of faith, I replied: “It was… insightful.” My mother nodded at that, and I could see her shoulders tense. “Kid has somehow forgotten to mention that his grandmother is filthy rich”, I continued: “Bethany lives in a _mansion_. Apparently the Eustass family is what Kid referred to as _old money_ and his grandmother seems to be some sort of family matriarch.”

My mother hummed in acknowledgement but seemed unwilling to give up any information without me asking directly. The hard lines around her eyes were a clear sign that she sensed where this was going, though.

“Mom. Why did you never tell me about your family?”, I asked tentatively. My mother’s shoulders dropped at that and here gaze wandered over the sky, never meeting mine. “I guess I should have told you at some point”, she finally offered: “But there never seemed to be the right time or place, and I honestly didn’t know how I could even begin to explain.”

She shook her head softly: “Let’s get back inside, get some breakfast and I will tell you the story of how I met your father and left Flevance and the DeWater family behind.”

 

Once we were settled at the kitchen table, my mother took a deep breath: “So Bethany Eustass told you. I shouldn’t be surprised. I never met her, but from what people said, she’s always been a terrible gossip…”

I managed a tense smile at that. Kid had used very similar words to describe his grandmother.

“Living in Flevance was nice, but also somehow stifling. Everyone was watching the family members closely, always looking for someone to slip up and cause a scandal”, my mother continued: “So when I graduated high-school, I wanted to leave and study in a different city. My father wouldn’t let me run off too far, but at least he allowed me to go to a neighbouring city. That I hoped to study in one of the top universities of the country certainly helped his decision along…

“I loved the freedom I got from finally being in a place where not everyone recognised my face. I studied hard, and spent most of my free time exploring the city, reading books, and well, partying.” She paused to take a sip of her cooling tea before she continued. “It was at the beginning of the third term that I met Joe. He was what my father would refer to as a commoner amongst common men; coming from a family of workers, and not choosing to try and reach beyond what his family was good at.

“His hardworking and _common_ nature was doing little to keep me from spending time with him and his friends. He also had the brightest smile and could charm everyone who met him. I was in love before I knew what was happening. Joe understood my need to keep our relationship a secret, and so we generally met in secret. Had my father learned of it, he would have ordered me home immediately.”

There was a sad look in my mother’s eyes, and I already regretted making her talk about the past. But now that she started, I didn’t want to interrupt before she had said her piece.

“We went to a lot of underground bars and clubs, places the queer community went to. It’s where I met Shakky and Rayleigh for the first time. Me and Joe weren’t really part of the community; just allies and friends, never really understanding the danger our friends were in all the time.

“There was this man, Roger, who looked out for all us young ones, making sure we didn’t get in trouble. Then trouble eventually found him, of course, and things got ugly”, she interrupted herself, raking her fingers through her hair: “That’s another story, though. When all hell broke loose, the papers caught wind of the daughter of the DeWater family being _involved_ with _these kinds of people_ , and eventually they also found out about me and Joe. But by that time I had made up my mind. Me and Joe were happy, and the months I had spent with him I felt more like myself than I ever had in Flevance.

“So when my father demanded my return to the DeWater estate, ordered me to leave Joe and essentially all of my friends behind, I refused. He expelled me, banished me from my home town, never to return.”

I reached for my mother’s hands at that, trying to show her some comfort among all the bitter memories she was unearthing for me. She looked up, smiling softly.

“Even before you were born, I never regretted the decision. My life could have been easier, especially once Joe left, but I never regretted abandoning my heritage”, she said with a soft voice: “I don’t talk about Joe because it still hurts that he left. I never understood why, but sometimes… sometimes you can do your best and it still doesn’t work out in the end.”

Shaking her head, she emptied her cup and got up to get more tea. “I always wondered why he disappeared. If he no longer cared for me, that was one thing; it can happen. But why he would leave you behind, I never understood. So I taught myself not to think about the past and focus on the present. After all, I had a toddler to raise.”

She was grinning at me now, sadness still shadowing her eyes, but true to her words, no regrets. I allowed myself a tentative smile. “Never doubt that, Law. I loved my father, and I loved my family. But I choose to stay with Joe, and I choose the life we live. If I had to make the same decision again, I would do it without hesitation.”

 

I took a shuddering breath. Saying those words, my mother suddenly looked taller, prouder, and I could almost see her noble heritage shining through. Of course, my mother had always somehow seemed larger than the life she lived, as if she were made for a different world. Knowing she had been raised as part of nobility explained that impression at last.

She returned to the table, setting down her cup. “What do you think about ordering pizza and being lazy in front of the TV?” I laughed at that, playing along with her a little too bright mood. If she chose to not think about the past, then I would let her. The DeWater clan had never played a part in my life, and I wouldn’t allow them to start playing one now.

While I got glasses and a bottle of soda for us to drink, my mother ordered pizza. We would get comfy on the couch and watch a stupid comedy. We would be fine.

 

A few hours later I pulled a blanket over my mother’s sleeping form, turned off the TV and headed to bed. The afternoon had been relaxing, but still her words were chasing each other around in my mind, and I doubted sleep would find me easily that night.

In the end, I dozed off quite quickly, the emotional roller-coaster of the last days finally caching up with me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s that.  
> I feel I didn’t do my OCs justice with this rather short explanation of what is essentially a whole life’s worth of history. But in the end, this was supposed (!) to be a fluffy Christmas story, and I know from experience that OCs rarely manage to catch reader’s interest for long. Still, I’m quite happy to have added the DeWater family. In the original version Law’s connection to Shakky was never quite clear, and with Laeticia’s story I managed to pull in all the loose ends and wrap them back into the main story.  
> Also, we are finally entering the last plot line! It’s still another nine chapter plus epilogue until we’re done, but plot wise, we’re reaching the final stage. And if you read through the last thirty plus chapters, you know shit’s about to hit the fan –insert evil laughter here-  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love.


	34. January 3 - Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curtain up for a disaster waiting to happen!  
> Enjoy!

_Kid’s POV_

 

I sat in my kitchen staring blankly into my cup. Oh, empty again. I needed more coffee.

There had been radio silence from Law the entire previous day and I was getting worried. It was close to lunch, so he should have been up.

Given the delicate situation with his family heritage, I hadn’t wanted to bother him the previous day and didn’t send a text. Today morning, when I had rolled out of bed, I had sent a quick hello and was now anxiously waiting for any form of reply. Trying to take a sip from my empty cup, I remembered that I had wanted to get another coffee, and rose form my slouched position.

Pressing the button on my coffee machine only got me a red warning light. I sighed and opened the cupboard containing the coffee beans. One day I’d own a machine that could autonomously fill its own bean and water tank.

Unfortunately, on this cold and grey morning in January, I came to discover that not only my coffee machine didn’t automatically restock; the same apparently also applied to my cupboards, meaning I was entirely out of coffee.

With a frustrated groan I picked my mobile up from the table and made my way to the bathroom. I could as well get ready for the day and head out to get groceries and more coffee.

Law chose that very moment to finally reply to my text, making my still-not-quite-awake-self nearly jump out of my skin.

 

_Law: Want to meet up for coffee in the afternoon?_

 

I quickly checked the time, before replying.

 

_Kid:_ Logue Town _1:30pm?_

_Law: Sure_

Like that I would have enough time to get ready and get to Shakky’s and grab another coffee before meeting my boyfriend.

Passing the living room, I let out an annoyed sigh. After dropping Law off at home, Mike had crashed on my sofa and I still hadn’t found the energy to tidy up. According to his own words, Mike was off work until this Friday, where he would start a round of night shifts, and didn’t want to be at Pop’s place when Danny would leave.

I could relate. Mike and Danny had never been as close as me and my oldest brother, but seeing Danny leave for prison _again_ was not something anyone in the family wanted to be witness to. I had tried to be there for my brother during one of his earlier leaves. It ended in a massive fight with Pop, and Danny surprisingly calmly explaining to me that he understood; that he was fine with me not being there if it was too hard. Evidently, he preferred no one to be there who couldn’t stomach the situation.

Shaking my head, I grabbed the cover and cushion Mike had used and, after removing the linen, shoved them roughly into the cupboard they came from Dropping the linen in the already overflowing laundry basket, I banished any lingering thoughts of Danny from my mind and started to get ready.

 

As planned, I arrived at the _Logue Town Café_ roughly fifteen minutes before I was supposed to meet Law. From the corner of my eyes saw a shimmer of seemingly familiar blond hair, but when I turned my head, there was no one on the street apart from me and an elderly couple heading towards the city centre. Shrugging, I pushed open the door to Shakky’s café, and froze.

At the bar, chatting with Shakky, sat an old, white-haired man. He had his back turned towards the door, and I noticed how broad his shoulders were. I wondered whether he was a retired bouncer. Then Shakky noticed me standing there, and smiled.

The man turned his head and looked at me. His dark eyes seemed to stare into my very soul and I quickly revised my first impression. This was no bouncer, retired or otherwise. Whatever this man used to be – and probably still was – it was something far more dangerous than your average bouncer.

I felt myself tremble, and quite seriously considered turning tail and escaping before… Well, before what exactly I wasn’t sure. But I damn well knew I didn’t want to stay around and find out.

Suddenly, Shakky’s voice rang out through the tense silence: “Rayleigh, stop frightening my customers!” She was drawing the man’s attention back to herself, and I felt as if a spell was broken and I could finally use my legs again. So, this was Rayleigh. I was just glad I had met the guy in broad daylight.

“Kid! Come over here and get a coffee”, Shakky called over, already busying herself with preparing a cup for me: “Is Law dropping by, too?” At that, Rayleigh’s attention shifted over to me again, and with some effort, I managed to make my body cooperate, leading me over to the bar.

Once I managed to get seated and was no longer in danger of my legs giving out under me, I dared to meet Rayleigh’s eyes. He gave me an appreciating grin before turning back towards his cup, and I couldn’t help feeling like I just passed some test. “I’m meeting Law here at half past. But I ran out of coffee at home, so I decided to get a cup before he arrives”, I explained. Laughing, Shakky placed a cup in front of me: “So, how was New Year’s dinner? Any casualties?”

Before I could answer, the door opened, and Law walked in. He must have heard Shakky’s question as he said: “If you count Kid’s grandmother telling me about the DeWaters, then yes. Otherwise things were good.” He grinned nonchalantly and started removing his coat: “Can I have a cup, too, or do I need to fight Kid for his?”

Beside me, Rayleigh had tensed, and Shakky’s face was awfully pale. I raised an eyebrow and looked between the three. “Stop looking at me like that, Shakky”, Law grumbled as he dropped into a chair beside me, coat over his knees: “Mom’s fine. I’m fine. I guess it was about time someone told me, anyway.” He shrugged, apparently not phased in the slightest by the tense atmosphere around him.

“Ah..”, Shakky finally offered and got to work making another coffee. I looked at Law with a curious gaze, but assumed we would talk about whatever was going on later. Rayleigh finished his drink and got up. “I’ll go look after Laeticia”, he said: “I’m sure she’s fine, but eh... I’m a bit protective of the children.” Shakky shot him a sharp gaze, but didn’t say anything, and I guessed that her silence was partially due to mine and Law’s presence.

 

Shortly after Rayleigh’s departure, me and Law left too. We got groceries, including coffee beans, and started heading back towards my flat. Law offered me a cigarette and we walked for a few meters smoking in comfortable silence. The cold winter air had reddened the tip of Law’s nose and he looked even more cute than usual. I grinned, about to say something about him, when my eyes fell on a shop window behind him.

The bike standing in the window made my eyes shine. I came to a staggering halt, completely absorbed by the machine. “Oh, she’s a beauty”, I murmured, eyes locked on the shining black and chrome.

Law stepped up beside me, and looked over the bike and the shop window. “Huh”, he said: “This place must be new. We’ve come past this way a few times, and I’ve never seen a bike shop before.” I nodded absently, still fascinated by the sight before me.

I cast a look at the price tag and sighed. Turning away from the bike shop, I grabbed Law’s hand and began to lead him further towards my flat. I was deep in thought, my mind still with the bike, even if I tried to detach myself from it. “Kid..?”

I snapped back to reality and focused my eyes on Law. “You really liked that bike, did you?”, he asked with a soft smile. I nodded, hesitantly: “Promise not to laugh.” Law looked shocked and a little hurt as he shook his head a little.

“I always wanted to be a mechanic. I love motorbikes. Love their looks; love their sound. Since I was a child, I wanted to work with bikes.” I waited, not meeting Law’s eyes, until he carefully touched my arm. “So?”, he asked and I could just stare. “It’s unusual in our family. You met my brothers. One a genius, the other employed at Drum…”

“ _So?_ ”, Law repeated, still not grasping what my issue was. “It’s not exactly normal for people from my family to go for manual work”, I snapped.

Law smiled, and light another cigarette: “You see, I want to become a doctor. But given my family situation, I need a stipendiary. Do you think that’s bad; reaching beyond my lot in life?”

I shook my head violently, shocked by Law’s words, yet unable to reply. “So if I should be able to do what I want, even if it’s not something I can easily afford, then why shouldn’t you be able to do something that’s merely unusual for your family.”

I was silent for a long while as we kept walking. When we reached my flat, I fished the keys from my coat pocket and looked at Law: “Thank you.” Law smiled, leaning up and pressing a soft kiss to my lips. “Movie night?”, he asked.

I grinned: “Will you stay the night?” Law mirrored my grin, and nodded. I let him into the building, and turned to close the door. I froze when I saw a blond man at the corner at the end of our street. I breathed in, closed my eyes and opened them again. The man was gone. I closed the door, shuddering, reminding myself that there were many people with blond hair, and that the particular person ghosting through my head didn’t even live in this part of the city.

 

Following Law up towards my flat, I decided to leave that particular can of worms for another day. If I had to deal with _this_ topic, tomorrow would be early enough, still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we finally introduced Rayleigh! I didn’t change a lot about his and Kid’s meeting. In canon, Rayleigh is in my opinion one of the most impressive characters (together with like Shanks and Whitebeard), and I wanted him to have this larger than life impression in this story, too.  
> I guess it’s quite clear to any reader where this whole blond-hair-drama is going, but maybe I’ll still manage to surprise you with the plot in the end?  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love.


	35. January 4 - Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm BACK!
> 
> The original chapter was in Kid’s POV, and just for your reference/ enjoyment, that was the comment in my word doc before I did the rewrite:  
> Hoooow the fuck am I going to make THIS work from Law’s POV?!!! ;;________;;  
> Enjoy!

_Law’s POV_

 

Kid stirring beside me woke me up that morning. He was stretching, reaching for the coat he had discarded beside the bed the previous evening. I hummed, turning to face him, a lazy smile on my lips. Kid gave up the search for whatever and met my eyes with an equally sleepy smirk.

“Good morning, beautiful”, he murmured and I couldn’t help a small giggle. _Beautiful_ , _really?_ I would have bet good money that I looked many things, but beautiful wasn’t one of them. My hair usually stood off in every direction in the morning, and despite just waking up, the dark shadows under my eyes permanently remained. Still, my boyfriend smiled at me.

I rose an eyebrow, lifting my arm from under the covers to brush a strand of fiery red hair from Kid’s eyes. In response, he shuffled closer, placing his arm over my waist. I craned my neck for a good morning kiss.

Kid met me half way, pulling me flush against him in the process. His skin was warm and smooth against me, and my brief morning kiss quickly deepened to something more. Burring my fingers in Kid’s hair, I sighed. I could get used to waking up liked this.

Pulling away, I pressed my forehead against his, a goofy grin still on my lips. “What were you looking for?” Kid just shrugged: “Got a text. Woke me up. But I found something more interesting right here.”

With those words he pushed me onto my back and rolled onto me. “You are certainly more awake than I thought”, I grinned, feeling his obvious erection press against my hips. Kid chuckled lowly and got back to kissing me. Keeping himself balanced with one arm, his other hand tickled up along my sides, leaving goose bumps in its wake.

My breath hitched after Kid had left a trail of kisses along my jaw and towards my ear. I could feel him smirk against my skin, right before he bit down, making me moan.

My hips lifted off the bed at their own volition and I had to bite back another moan at the contact. I raked nails over Kid’s shoulder towards his hips, grip hard enough to leave angry red marks all over his skin. Judged by the panting breath against my neck, my lovely boyfriend didn’t mind the slight pain mixed into our game. He was biting along the column of my neck, certainly leaving marks just as red as the ones I was painting across his back.

I shuddered against him. My mind was still a little cloudy from sleep, and I felt a giddy energy pulsing through my blood. With his face still hidden against my skin, Kid rocked his hips against me in tiny motions and I pushed up against him, seeking more friction, more pressure, more of this delicious warmth that seemed to make up my entire being.

When I slipped a finger under Kid’s boxers, slowly creeping along the seam towards his hipbone, his let out the most delightful whimper. I turned my head, chasing the sound with my lips and teeth until I could kiss him again.

My cock was straining against my own boxers and I felt a wet patch form. Despite the urgency in my body, I contended myself with languid kisses and soft stroking hands for a moment. The day was still young, and we had time.

 

When Kid eventually broke our kiss and looked at me, his pupils were blown wide, and there was a hunger in his eyes that made me shiver. “I want you…” His voice was barely more than a horse whisper, breaking off towards the end. I swallowed hard against the nervousness suddenly raising in my stomach.

I pushed up on my elbows, meeting Kid in a soft kiss. “I want you, too”, I murmured against his lips. I knew it was true. I wanted this, wanted him. And although nervousness was like a cold claw against my stomach, but I was no less sure of my decision because of it.

 

At my words, Kid let out a shaky breath, swallowing hard and pressing his forehead against mine. I could see how he was taking a mental step back from the situation, distancing himself somewhat to regain enough control so he could be sure he wouldn’t hurt me. The part of me that enjoyed Kid’s biting and the way a little pain spiked my arousal wished he would lose that control, would forget to take care of me for just a moment and take what he so desperately wanted.

Of course I also knew that this would be an exceptionally stupid course of action. Maybe one day we would be able to rush through preparation and I would not freak out at the feeling of, well… But my first time certainly wasn’t the moment to try playing rough. I knew that. What was more important though, was that _Kid_ knew it better. And he was the better person, because he had taken that mental step back and as always, double checked whether I was truly certain about what I wanted.

“Are you sure?”, Kid murmured. I nodded silently and earned myself a hard look. Kid was hovering above me, unmoving, his eyes locked with mine. With some effort I held his gaze. “Yes”, I replied, swallowing around the nervousness rising in my throat.

 

Kid nodded, looking oddly severe for someone in his boxers with a hard-on poking against my hips. I was sure that after… afterwards I’d be glad he took consent so seriously. Right in that moment, his sudden calm demeanour unnerved me more than the idea of what we were about to do.

 

While I had been lost in thoughts, Kid had moved off me, leaning over to his nightstand. He dropped something on the bed, but before my brain had the chance to register and analyse what he’d just retrieved, he was on me again, kissing and biting every piece of skin he could reach.

I moaned, helplessly clutching the sheets at the onslaught of sensation. It felt as if Kid’s hands and lips were everywhere at once and I began to realise the extent of the self-control he must have shown so far. Whenever we had fooled around before, he had been intense, but never like this. I was drowning in the feeling of his skin against mine, the only thing focusing me the hold I had on the sheets.

Kid was mouthing along my cock, his hot breath making me shiver, before he pulled down my boxers and quickly rolled a condom on before he swallowed me down. My vision was whitening out, and I wondered whether I’d ruin it all by simply coming right then.

Before I could embarrass myself, Kid retreated a little, seemingly content with mouthing along my hipbone. I took a shuddering breath and pulled myself back from the edge with some effort. The click of the lube uncapping brought me back enough that the nerves were once again making themselves known. I took a deep breath.

 

Kid focused his attention on my cock again, distracting me with slow, torturous licks. His fingers danced over my skin. The cool lube built a stark contrast to my heated skin and sent a shiver running through me.

Despite Kid’s best efforts, I was hyper-aware of his fingers brushing over my perineum, then the skin around my entrance. For the moment he seemed happy to just rub over the sensitive area without breaching, and I felt myself begin to relax, and focus more on the pleasure he was giving me.

Slowly, oh so slowly, Kid brought me closer to my orgasm again, and I was soon moaning helplessly. My legs were spread wide on the bed, and I pushed my hips up, urging him to take me deeper. Just a little more, just… Kid pulled off me entirely and at the same moment pushed a first finger into me.

The sudden lack of stimulation on my cock had me push down on Kid’s finger, seeking any form of contact. “Kid… _fuck_.. Kid please”, I whispered hoarsely. I felt him grin against my thigh, before he bit down on the sensitive flesh.

I could no longer control the movement of my hips. The slight pain from my leg spiked my arousal and made me twitch helplessly. Kid began to move his finger carefully, and I wanted to scream. Careful was the sensible approach, I knew. But careful felt like not enough, and I started to meet his every move, urging him on.

Kid’s breath against my leg, where he was still idly sucking and biting my skin, was getting faster. And still he didn’t speed up, didn’t give me anything more than the slow push of that one finger, all the while neglecting my straining cock completely. I needed more, anything.

In a desperate attempt to get any form of relieve, I untangled one hand from the sheets to stroke myself, but Kid quickly nudged my fingers away with his nose, and finally, _finally_ , returned his lips to my cock. I nearly sobbed in relieve, when the wet heat engulfed me again, torn between pushing up into Kid’s mouth and pushing down on his finger.

I felt a pressure against my entrance, a stretch, when Kid started to carefully push another finger in. It was a foreign feeling, but there was no pain, and I met his slow movements with an urgent jerk of my hips. How was I supposed to last like this? I already felt ready to burst, and still Kid didn’t seem to see the need to speed up a single movement. I couldn’t take the slow pace anymore, needed _more_. But Kid kept his touches careful, patient.

“Hurry up, please… god.. _Kid_ …”, I panted out between moans and risked opening my eyes, glancing down at my boyfriend. The red hair nearly hid his face from my view, but I could hear and feel the way he moaned at my words.

 

Coming up for a kiss, he began to truly stretch me, work me open. I was losing focus, could hardly concentrate enough to kiss him back, desperate as I was to take him deeper.

I vaguely remembered how it had felt when he had brushed over my prostate the last time we did this, and I wanted that feeling again. Yet, my boyfriend continued to refuse me, giving me nothing but the slight burn of being stretched. I was so hard, out of my mind with arousal, I could not even beg anymore.

My voice was reduced to moans and horse whimpers by the time he added a third finger. The burn increased, becoming almost uncomfortable, but Kid obviously knew what he was doing. He didn’t give me the chance to analyse the discomfort, deliberately brushing over my prostate and making me see stars.

Before I knew what was happening, he was at last picking up the pace, pumping into me with his fingers. I was lost, my hips jerking in helpless little motions trying to keep up with Kid. He had abandoned my lips in favour of mouthing along my neck, down over my chest, and back to my hips.

 

When he removed his fingers and quickly got a condom, I was beyond caring. No matter how nervous this may have made me before, all I wanted now was for Kid to take me.

He picked up a cushion and briskly shoved it under my hips and I cracked open my eyes to look at him. He was trembling, shaking with need, and the last bit of my brain that had not yet abandoned work wondered how he could possibly keep himself so restrained.

Then Kid started to push in, and my last coherent thought flew out of the window. Despite all the preparation, there was nothing that could have prepared me for the feeling of Kid’s cock pushing into my body. I was torn between meeting his thrust and pulling away from the odd sensation, so I kept myself carefully still.

Once he was fully buried in me, Kid leaned down and dropped his forehead on my chest, panting. “Ok?”, he breathed against my skin, looking up at me. I could only nod. The feeling of being connected to Kid like that chocked me and stopped any words I may have had in that moment.

Silence, however, had never been enough for my boyfriend, and I watched as he pushed himself up on his elbows, ready to stop everything, and something in my brain short-circuited. “I’m fine!”, I rushed to say: “Just… hn…” Words failed me again. I wrapped my legs around Kid’s hips, pulling him in, trying to show him that I was alright, that he should move, anything…

A tight smile crossed Kid’s features, and he carefully began to move. It was the same pace from the beginning again, and I nearly sobbed. I needed _more!_

Pushing my hips to meet his every thrust, I tried to get Kid to speed up. My fingers were clawing at his arms, leaving more marks on his skin. “Oh god, Kid… _please_ …” My voice broke on the word, a desperate sob threatening to spill past my lips instead.

On Kid’s next thrust I worked my legs to get him to move faster and heard a surprised, chocked off moan from my boyfriend. Balancing on my shoulders, I focused as much as I could on meeting Kid’s moves. And finally, something in him snapped.

He adjusted his balance one more, pushing my legs up, nearly folding me in half. Now he hit my prostate on every other thrust and the sob from before clawed its way up my throat and past my clenched teeth. Kid was picking up the pace, fucking me with small, desperate moves before his rhythm began to falter.

I was so close, _so close_ but before I could finally reach my release, Kid came, nearly collapsing on top of me. I let out an embarrassing, frustrated whine. Before Kid managed to untangle himself fully from me, my hand flew to my cock and with a few quick strokes of my hand I came, too.

 

 

Kid lay beside me, panting. My heart was still beating frantically against my ribs.

I giggled. My boyfriend turned his head towards me, eyes half-lidded and smiled: “My stamina’s usually better than that”, he muttered with a smile, before he joined me in my silly giggling.

“Coffee?”, I asked, once I managed to catch my breath. “Shower first”, Kid replied.

 

Showering was a quick thing. I had noticed my legs were still a bit shaky when I got out to dry myself off, and so Kid offered to prepare coffee while I got dressed. Kid pulled on his sweat pants and flung his coat over his shoulder before moving to the kitchen where I heard him turn on the coffee machine.

Moments later I was leaning out of the kitchen window smoking and Kid sat on the table when we remembered the text from earlier. He rummaged through the pockets of his coat, unlocking his mobile with a frown.

I watched as his frown deepened and a hard look appeared in his eyes. Flicking my cigarette out of the window, I turned fully towards him. His frown was morphing into an angry and slightly panicked glare and he flung his phone onto the table with such force it slithered over the surface and dropped on the floor at the corner furthest away from Kid.

With careful movements, I went to pick up the phone, deliberately not looking at the screen in case the message was still open. I didn’t want to pry into Kid’s private life, and while I was curious what may have provoked such a strong reaction, I would rather hear it from my boyfriend.

Placing the phone back on the table I looked up at Kid. He was staring straight ahead, unfocused and tense. “Kid…?”, I spoke softly. My boyfriend startled from his thoughts and turned his eyes towards me. He slowly shook his head, as if to clear it. I raised an eyebrow and waited.

Kid took a deep breath, and it seemed like he had come to some kind of decision for himself, as he spoke up: “Remember Bethany mentioning Killer?” I nodded hesitantly, recalling quite clearly the way my boyfriend had flinched at the mentioning of the name.

With a sigh, Kid pushed away from the table and started pacing in the small kitchen. “See, I had hoped Killer would ever be a topic, ever”, he began, eyes focused on the tiles and hands buried in his coat pockets. “He used to be my best friend. The text is from him.”

I watched his pacing in confusion: “Isn’t it nice that he contacted you?” Kid stopped dead in his tracks, throwing a murderous glare at the phone. “No”, he eventually said between clenched teeth: “See, me and Killer were best friends since, oh, forever. And then stupid ol’ me had to go and fall in love with him.”

Now it was my turn to flinch. Kid had mentioned he had gotten burnt badly the last time he had feelings for someone. I didn’t expect it to have been his best friend; a best friend he hadn’t mentioned at all before.

“I hid my feelings forever, but eventually Killer realised something was off and questioned me until I told him. He ran from the room – literally – and then proceeded to make my life living hell afterwards”, Kid continued, as if he didn’t notice my growing trepidation: “The bullying got so bad, I ended up changing school at the end of the year. Blocked Killer’s number and just tried to forget he ever existed. And now, _now_ , he suddenly texts me out of nowhere, saying he’s _in the area_ and would love to meet!”

Kid was snarling, his last words barely more than an angry hiss.

Then all energy seemed to leave him suddenly, and he slumped against the kitchen counter. “When he ran from me, just left me standing there, I tried to contact him for days. He didn’t reply to my texts, didn’t answer my calls, and pretended not to be home.” Kid spoke in a low voice now, almost as if talking to himself. “Afterwards, when we were both back in school he somehow turned the entire student body against me. Everyone avoided me, and if they didn’t they hurled insults and often enough fists my way.

“I took almost half a year to get my father to agree to letting me transfer into another city, just away from it all.” Kid sighed, collapsing in on himself even more. I didn’t know what to do. I felt insecure again all of the sudden. What if Killer had changed his mind, what if he wanted Kid back as a best friend? What if he wanted more than friendship?

Breathing slowly against the panic rising in my chest, I took a slow step towards Kid. He looked up and met my eyes. There was pain in his gaze, an old and deep wound, and the last remains of the anger were still etched into his features.

“It’s ok, you know”, I murmured, carefully reaching for his hand and lacing my fingers with his: “We all have a past. It’s ok if he’s still important to you. As long as you’re here with me…” Kid’s face darkened again, and he reached his free hand up to cup my face.

“I hear your words, but your eyes say something else.” He brushed his thumb over my cheek. “Never doubt my feelings for you. I don’t know why Killer’s suddenly trying to get back into my life, but there is nothing he can say or do that would change how much I love you.”

I smiled at his words, suddenly dead tired. First the chaos with my mother’s heritage, and now this. I had hoped the last few days of our holidays could be spent holed up on Kid’s sofa watching stupid movies and eating far too much take-out. But as exhausting as this matter was, it was important. I had the feeling that if we ignored this now, it would come back later and bite us in the ass. Making my peace with the fact that I’d have to face this issue head on, I sighed. “Do you want to see him?”

There was a pained look in Kid’s eyes, a reluctance to admit that yes, he truly wanted to see Killer, if only to find closure. I squeezed his hand: “The honest answer, Kid.” He pulled his fingers from my grasp and started pacing again. “I don’t know!”, he snapped, taking another turn: “I want to know why he contacted me. I want to know why he behaved like an idiot after I told him I had feelings for him. I don’t want this to stand between us” – he waved his arm, indicating the space between him and I – “but whether I meet him or not, it _will_ stand between us. I don’t want to ever see him again, and yet…”

Kid stopped, staring absently out of the window: “Just thinking about all this makes me so _angry_!”

I nodded, even if he couldn’t see me. He was in a horrible situation, and no matter which way out he chose, it could go wrong. Regardless how much he wanted to believe meeting Killer wouldn’t change his feelings, it might. Or they could just go back to being friends, and then the knowledge that he had harboured feelings for his best friend would always stand between us.

Or, I thought, in a dark and secret corner of my mind, they could meet up and nothing changed. Perhaps Killer just wanted to apologize, or taunt Kid some more. There was a change, although slim, that Killer, too, was simply looking for closure and didn’t want Kid back in his life. It was a foolish and unfriendly thought, but I couldn’t help but wish that this would be all.

 

I raised my head and looked at Kid when he turned away from the window. “ _When_ does he want to meet you?”, I asked. “Friday…” I hummed. Friday wasn’t a bad thing. It gave us an additional day to (mentally) prepare ourselves, and if Killer didn’t define a location, we could maybe convince him to meet Kid in the _Moby Dick_. Home turf, for me at least.

“If you want to hear what I think, I’d say you meet him in the _Moby_. People know you there, if there’s trouble, someone will have your back. And if you want me there, but not in view, it can be arranged too”, I voiced my thoughts. Kid nodded, but didn’t reply, lost in his own thoughts.

 

I left shortly after. The atmosphere in Kid’s flat had grown sour, and I understood his need for time alone. I pointedly ignored the nagging feeling that told me Kid would run straight to Killer the moment I left the building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end of this chapter is very tender, and I like it because of it. Relationships are never easy, especially not when ghosts of the past show up suddenly.
> 
> This chapter gave me the mother of all headaches. It took forever to rewrite, I ran into various writer’s blocks, and just… it was a pain. I don’t know how often I had to put in placeholders between scenes to at least be able to keep working on the chapter, while bits and pieces had to be postponed.  
> As I post this, the remaining eight chapters are finished, so I just need to upload, which I will do. Eight more days and we’re done, folks.  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	36. January 5 - And the Roller Coaster in Between

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beware the present tense! Don’t worry, it’s just a few paragraphs in the beginning.  
> The plot thickens… or does it?  
> Enjoy!

_Kid’s POV_

 

The man with the scalpel leans down. On his table, struggling against the bonds holding him down, lays a man, naked save for his boxers. He’s twisting this way and that, trying to escape. The man calmly reaches to the table, tightening one of the straps across the blond’s chest before picking up the scalpel again.

He leans over the bound man on the table, happily drawing swirling patterns on his skin with the blade. The blond is screaming in pain, legs kicking at nothing. The doctor looks up, and above the mask, I lock eyes with Law. I shake my head, panicked.

Law raises the scalpel again and with a cold look at me rams it between the blond’s ribs. I want to scream, but I’m frozen in place. My lips are moving but no sound escapes. Blood gushes from the blond’s chest.

I look down, and there is a hole in my own chest, right where my heart should be.

 

 

“Killer!”, I shouted, as I shot upright in my bed. My pulse was hammering in my ears, and I instinctively reached up to my chest, fully expecting it to come way soaked in blood.

Of course, there was no blood, and no hole in my chest either. I was still heaving from the adrenaline rushing through my system. What the hell… What the _hell_ , had that been? I untangled myself from the bedsheet – ah, so that was why I hadn’t been able to move – and got out of bed. With trembling limbs I wandered into the kitchen. That, hadn’t been a nice dream.

While I waited for my coffee machine to provide me with some much-needed caffeine, I opened the window, breathed in the cold morning air and recalled the gruesome dream: My boyfriend cutting my heart out by killing my former best friend. _Talk about twisted symbolism…_ I thought and shuddered.

I wasn’t exactly surprised that my mind had conjured up some twisted nightmare-version of my current situation. Once Law had had left the previous evening, I had taken some time to consider his suggestion and ended up texting Killer back, suggesting meeting in the _Moby Dick_.

I did text Law right after, telling him in no uncertain terms that he’d better be there with me. There was no way I could face Killer on my own, not even with the entire staff of the _Moby Dick_ behind me.

 

After two cups of coffee I felt as if the walls were closing in on me, and I quickly grabbed my coat and headed out. As long as I didn’t see any blond hair, I’d be better off outside.

The cold winter air greeted me and I inhaled deeply. It was still early in the morning, and most people were either already at work, or not yet out of bed. It was eerily quiet outside, and I smiled softly when I remembered how Law had stood at my window watching the first snow of the season. It felt like that had been yesterday; it felt like it had been a lifetime ago.  So much had happened since then. I smiled and lit a cigarette. “I should quit again”, I murmured to myself, and started walking towards the city centre.

 

The first time I had started smoking had been when the whole mess with Killer had escalated. There hadn’t been many people who smoked at my old school, and so only very few people knew if I snuck out behind the building to escape for a few minutes. At least for a while it had been like this. Then one of Killer’s new friends had found me, and that last hiding place had been gone, too.

Killer… My best friend since kindergarten. Killer with his long blond hair and broad grin, always half hidden behind that blue-white scarf I had given him after the Chemistry accident. Killer who had spent a week in hospital because some idiot had knocked over a folder, leading to a domino-effect inside the Chemistry lab, which ultimately mixed two liquids that really, really shouldn’t have been mixed and poured onto human skin. Killer who had nearly broken my ribs hugging me when I had won some stupid bet. Killer who had turned his back on our friendship for something I couldn’t influence. Thinking about Killer made everything hurt, even after not seeing each other in over half a year and almost a year of not talking.

I sped up, trying to outrun my own thoughts and looked around, trying to find anything I could focus my mind on. My gaze fell on the bike shop me and Law had come past at two days before. The beautiful bike was still in the window, but it was a paper taped against the inside of the glass that caught my eyes.

A mix of excitement and guilt washed through me when I realised that they were looking for an apprentice. This might have been the chance I had been looking for since the whole disaster with Killer. Working with bikes had always been my dream. I had tried to find an apprenticeship when I was about to leave school, but no shop had been willing to take me on. Too young, drop out… The reasons had haunted me for a long time.

But now? I was almost done with school, just half a year to go, and my grades were good enough to convince anyone that I wasn’t stupid. Digging my phone from my pocket, I quickly snapped a photo of the add. I’d put together an application once I got back from my little stroll through the wintery city.

 

After almost an hour outside, my feet and my need for more coffee carried me to the _Logue Town_. I peeked through the window to see whether Law or Rayleigh were in but couldn’t make out either man. Relaxed, I pushed open the door and greeted Shakky, who was as always standing behind the counter and serving customers. It truly didn’t matter when you dropped by the place; there was always someone in getting a coffee.

Shakky gave me her best smile, while she finished ringing up the last of a group of students. They were all loaded with books and folders, clearly here to get some last-minute cramming in before the finals were inevitably upon them. I supressed a grin; my brother used to have the exact same haunted and tired expression before his exams. I was really glad I would not have to go through the same. Studying just wasn’t for me.  

 

Ordering my coffee, I settled at the bar. My mind was still busy overanalysing memories, dreams, and the entire Killer situation, and I flinched when Shakky placed a cup in front of me. I hoped Shakky hadn’t noticed, but of course she gave me a questioning glance before turning her attention to the next customer.

I was nursing my coffee, staring into space for a while before the customer stream let up, and Shakky turned her focus once again to me. I gave her a week smile and tried in vain to hide behind my cup.

“Out with it, Kid”, she said: “Or I’ll get Rayleigh.” I shuddered. No thank you, I’d rather talk to _her_. “My best friend, slash ex-crush, wants to meet up again after a year of no contact.” It was not the most elegant way of saying what was going on, but I never claimed to have a way with words, so…

Shakky leaned her arms on the bar, looking at me with surprisingly calm eyes: “And that’s got your pants in a twist why?” I shrugged, helplessly.

“There is no chance I’d want Killer – and yes, that _is_ his name – back in my life. He did quite the number on me when he found out about my crush back then and I’m not ready to just forget that. But he’s apparently sorry, and I’m curious to see what he has to say.”

“And what does Law think about this?”, she asked, and then after a brief pause added: “You did tell him, didn’t you?” I nodded: “Course I told him. He’s worried, even if I told him not to be. And he wants to come along when I meet Killer.”

Law may not have said he wanted to be there, but the message had been there, loud and clear. Shakky sighed: “There is never an easy way with you guys, is there?” I wasn’t sure whether I should agree or disagree, so I just hummed undecidedly. “If you need to meet your friend to close that chapter of your life for good, do so. If there is any other reason behind it, or if you just do it to appease him, you should probably get your priorities straightened out.”

Her words stung, especially because I had wondered whether I was just agreeing to meet Killer out of some sense of duty to our past friendship. But in the end, I really wanted to know what he was on about. “I couldn’t simply forgive him. He wasn’t just my best friend, he was also the person who decided to turn against me and sic the entire school on me”, I tried to explain: “I cannot forgive him. But I still want to know what possessed him to contact me again after all these months.”

The look Shakky gave me did nothing to help my already frayed nerves. I knew I had landed myself in a right pickle with the whole Killer situation, but for once it was not of my own making.  I must have looked meek enough, as Shakky’s eyes softened a little: “Just be careful when you meet that friend of yours.”

_I have a bad feeling about this._ She didn’t say the words, but I heard them loud and clear. And while I made my way back towards my flat, I couldn’t help wondering: _Why_ did she have a bad feeling?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow’s the day… What will the meeting with Killer bring? Let me know your thoughts!  
> Kudo’s make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	37. January 6 - Killer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy. Here we are!  
> I brought back the Momoiro, because Inazuma didn’t actually have an appearance the last time Law went to the shop. And of course I still use neutral pronouns for them!
> 
> A brief warning: Homophobic language towards the end of the chapter. Violence and semi-graphic description of injuries.  
> The views of the characters do not reflect my own! Proceed with caution.  
> Also, the author has a very limited knowledge of medicine.
> 
> Enjoy!

_Law’s POV_

Friday came far too quickly for my liking. I had spent the previous day antagonising over Kid and his feelings towards Killer. In the end, I had made my way to the Logue Town.

Shakky hadn’t looked the least bit surprised when I had walked in, and explained that she had already talked to Kid. Wasn’t it funny that Kid also went to Shakky for advice? Then again, she did give the best – if also brutally honest – advice.

I lay in bed, replaying her words in my mind. _I don’t think you need to worry about Kid having a change of heart. But if he does, as much as it would hurt you, there is nothing you can do._

Had I mentioned that Shakky’s advice had a tendency to be brutal? Yeah… I knew that she was right, of course. If Kid’s feelings did end up changing, there was no way I could influence that in any way or form.

Picking up my mobile from the nightstand, I checked the time, before sending a quick text to Kid.

 

_Law: Want to meet at your place before we go to the Moby Dick?_

 

Logically speaking, it made sense to meet there. His place was closer to the club, and we would have a chance to discuss our battle plan one last time. Ok, I was exaggerating there. There was no need for a battle plan, but it would still be nice to see Kid before we walked into Killer later in the evening. Plus, I had a bad feeling about Kid meeting Killer again. I couldn’t place my finger on the why, but there was just something that told me things would go pear shaped as soon as these two faced each other.

Of course there was no way for me to explain that to my boyfriend. I would have looked like a jealous lover if I so much as uttered a protest against this evening’s meeting. And I wasn’t jealous, well, at least not really. My bad feeling didn’t stem from jealousy, though, of that I was sure.

I also knew that Kid was nervous enough about the meeting without me causing a scene, and so I kept my mouth carefully shut.

 

While I waited for him to reply, I showered and got coffee. My mother was already out, so I could smoke on the balcony without her giving me one of her stern looks.

It was there that I received a reply from my boyfriend.

 

_Kid: Sure thing. Drop by any time you want!_

 

I smiled. A bit too cheery for it not to be an act. Still freaking out, then.

Dropping my cup in the sink on my way back to my bedroom, I quickly typed out a reply.

 

_Law: Let me worry about my outfit for a bit, then I’ll come over_

 

Kid’s reply was instantaneous.

 

_Kid: You know you always look perfect._

_Kid: Stop fussing_

 

Laughing, I set the phone aside to tackle the task of finding something to wear. Despite Kid’s reassurance, I wanted to carefully select my clothes for the evening. If something in my gut told me things would turn sour, I was about to choose my battle armour.

Of course, that made picking clothes even more tricky. I wanted Kid to like my outfit, without appearing like I was trying too much. And I wanted to be comfortable in whatever I was going to wear, because the entire situation made me uncomfortable enough.

I sighed. Maybe I should just give up finding clothes in the mess that was my wardrobe and head back to _Momoiro_. Regardless of whether Inazuma or Ivankov were there, they could probably easily find something that ticked all the boxes on my extensive list of requirements for tonight. Plus, if I kept hanging around with Kid, I was pretty sure I’d end up in either the _Red Force_ or the _Oro Jackson_ sooner or later anyway, so I could as well start preparing now.

 

Lo and behold, half an hour later, I was standing in front of Inazuma, who looked at me like the cat that got the canary. Maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea.

“So, what can I help you with today? Ivankov said you have been here only recently!” Where Ivankov was colourful, and filled the room with their loud voice and massive wig, Inazuma appeared almost boring. The only sign that they were just as flamboyant as Ivankov were the colourful sunglasses that they wore even inside.

Smiling weakly at Inazuma, I quickly listed all the things my outfit had to cover. A manic grin appeared on their face and got broader the longer I spoke. “Follow me to the first floor! I have a few ideas of how we can get you exactly what you need!”

I quickly checked my mobile to see how much time I had left before I should head over to Kid’s place. While we hadn’t agreed on a specific time, it would still make sense for me to get there in the early evening. If Kid was as nervous as his cheery front suggested, it wouldn’t help if I made him wait.

 

Compared to the mess of colours that greeted you when you entered _Momoiro_ , the selection on the first floor appeared almost dull. Of course, the clothes here generally made up for their lack in colour by being cut in rather scandalous ways. I remembered that my mother wanted to come to the shop and groaned.

Inazuma had wandered over to one of the racks and started leaving through the hangers, murmuring to themselves. When they heard me groan, they quickly shot a look over their shoulder: “What? Already bored?”

I got out of my coat and dropped in on one of the chairs. “No. But I just remembered that my mother, of all people, wanted to come here at some point.” The manic grin on Inazuma’s face was back in full force: “I won’t object to dressing up another Trafalgar, so please do bring her over!” I hummed noncommittally and briefly wondered whether Inazuma was part of the circle who knew about the DeWaters.

Dismissing the thought as unimportant at the moment, I returned my focus to the ever-growing pile of clothes Inazuma was pulling from the racks. I had mentioned I only needed one outfit, didn’t I?

Once they were satisfied with what could only be a preliminary selection, Inazuma shooed me into one of the changing rooms, and had me try on the outfits they came up with. As to be expected from Inazuma, the size was always spot on, but the clothes?

I had put on the first pair of jeans and a shirt and stared at my reflection in horror before opening the curtain with a murderous look. “Absolutely not, Inazuma! I refuse to wear something that makes me look like… god I don’t even know a politically correct term for what I look like!” Inazuma just grinned, while looking at the sorry excuse of a bright purple shirt. “But it brings out your eyes!” “No!”, I repeated in what I hoped was a stern voice. Sighing, Inazuma pulled a few of the other clothes he had selected from the pile to return them to the hangers. “Ok, ok. Law-boy”, he sighed exasperatedly: “Try this one next, then.” He handed me another shirt and made his way back to the racks of clothes.

The next three shirts were acceptable; as were the tight black jeans I had put on right at the beginning. Back in my own pants, I looked at the clothes I considered buying. “For tonight, go with the grey one. It’s comfortable, but nice enough”, Inazuma advised. I nodded and looked up at him, feeling that there was something else they wanted to say. The cheshire cat grin on their faced made my heart take an uneasy beat. “Given your limited time, I’ll let you go now”, Inazuma began: “If you promise to try on one more shirt, and if it fits, you _will_ buy it.” I shuddered, but obediently held out a hand for whatever outrageous thing dearest Inazuma had unearthed from the depth of their shop.

With a mischievous glint in their eyes, they handed me another shirt. It was folded, so I didn’t recognise the extent of evilness in Inazuma’s action until I tried it on. As all the other clothes, it fit perfectly, and I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole.

The shirt was made from a shimmery, black material, had a dipping neckline, and was definitely cut too short for my liking. I opened the curtain and looked at Inazuma disapprovingly: “Please tell me that this… _thing_ is not supposed to fit like this.” My only reply was another broad grin. I sighed in defeat.

I left the shop shortly after, partially because I really needed to get to Kid’s place, partially because I wanted to prevent Inazuma from finding any more clothes for me to try. Another twenty minutes later, stopped in front of Kid’s apartment.

_Law: I’m here. Come downstairs, I need a hand_

 

I dropped my bags unceremoniously onto the ground and lit a cigarette. Ivankov was exhausting to deal with, but they could be stopped if you knew how. Inazuma? No chance. I felt like I had bought an entirely new wardrobe.

When Kid opened the door, he threw one look at the bags at my feet, and laughed. “Not funny”, I muttered but he just kept grinning at me.

 

A few minutes later, I was standing in Kid’s bedroom, all the different outfits laid out on his bed, and we were fiercely arguing which one I should be wearing to the Moby Dick. I was strongly in favour of the shirt Inazuma had originally proposed for the night’s occasion, combined with the black skinny jeans, while Kid wanted me to wear that outrageous piece of cloth that had no right being called a shirt, and that I had only bought to get Inazuma to shut up.

“No, absolutely not. I want to look nice, but I also want to be comfortable, so you’ll just have to deal with the grey one”, I repeated for the third time and finally Kid seemed to get my meaning. “Fiiine”, I said: “Now I just need to find something that can remotely keep up with your look.”

Kid grinned and opened his wardrobe with great flourish, then shot me look over his shoulder: “Care to help me, or are you planning to just bath in my misery while I try in vain to match your filthy beauty?”

I dropped on the bed, laughing at his dramatic attitude. When Kid didn’t show any signs of moving on his own, I pushed up on my elbows. “You don’t need my help, you big oaf. I’d bet you already decided anyway!”, I said with a huff: “You will wear either your black leather jacket, or the red coat. Since I’m going to wear the grey shirt, you don’t need to worry about your shirt clashing with mine. However, if you want to be picky, go for a blue shirt, because the pattern on the grey one got dark purple streaks.”

Now Kid gave me a broad grin, blindly reaching into his wardrobe and pulling out one of his dark blue shirts, as well as a pair of jeans. I rolled my eyes, picked up the outfit we had agreed on, and disappeared into the bathroom. Leaving the door open, I hollered through the flat: “I guess you don’t have eyeliner laying around here anywhere, right?”

I heard Kid drop something, then some violent cursing, before his answering shout reached me. “Mirror cabinet, top shelf. Haven’t used it in ages, so no clue whether it’s dried out!” I opened the cabinet, quickly locating the item in question. “My, my, my… I didn’t take you for the liquid eyeliner kind of guy, Kid…” Unfortunately, I needed an eyeliner pen for what I had in mind, so I stored the bottle again.

Kid appeared in the door two minutes later, with a bottle of black nail varnish in hand. Chancing a look at my face, he frowned: “Dried out then…”

I shook my head: “I’m more the coal pencil kind of guy. Nearly coloured my _entire_ eye in when I last tried using liquid eyeliner.” Kid rolled his eye with a huff and dropped the nail varnish on the sink. He reached past me and retrieved the eyeliner. “Sit”, he ordered, gesturing to the toilet. I sat down and watched curiously as Kid pulled out a cotton swab.

Kid opened the eyeliner and used the included brush to paint the cotton swab a rich black. He took careful hold of my chin, turning my face up and a little towards the bathroom light. “Hold still”, he murmured, as he softly brushed the cotton along my waterline.

I swallowed. Kid was entirely focused on his task, eyes sharp. The pressure from his fingers was soft and warm, and I had to suppress a shudder. Kid doing my makeup had something strangely intimate, which was ridiculous, considering all we had done already. And still…

Before I could get too lost in my thoughts, Kid’s hand vanished, and he leaned back. “Check whether you like it”, he said, and I turned my face towards the mirror.

I had no idea _how_ Kid had done it without making me look like a panda, but the eyeliner looked perfect. With the cotton swab he had somehow created a soft smoky look, and to top it off he had also managed to paint a perfect line along my lid.

“Where did you learn that?”, I wondered, looking at Kid through the mirror. He turned a little red, smiling. “Had a bit of a goth phase back in summer… And if you show up in the _Red Force_ with bad eyeliner, the guys will actually line up to get your face fixed.” I laughed, got up, and placed a quick kiss on his cheek: “Thank you.”

 

After a final round of coffee at Kid’s place, we had grabbed our coats, and headed out. The queue in front of the Moby Dick wasn’t too long yet, but it didn’t matter anyway. Smoker was on duty, and he waved us to the front and past the queue as soon as he spotted us.

I headed straight for the bar. An eerie calm had settled like fog over my mind. While I was still nervous about the meeting, the inevitability of it all had given me a strange sense of clarity. Plus, Kid was nervous enough for both of us combined. He looked good, but tense, and I absently noted that I wasn’t the only wearing battle armour. I hadn’t actually seen Kid wear nail polish before, and figured he usually only put it on when he went to the _Red Force_ or the _Jackson_.

I locked eyes with Marco. The barkeeper gave me a sharp nod, before tilting his head into the direction of a group of guests I hadn’t noticed before. “That bunch belongs to _Kaido’s_ and the _Raft_. No idea what lead them over here”, Marco said for a dark frown.

While Kid ordered his drink, I casually leaned against the bar and let my eyes roam over the room. It wasn’t hard to identify which group Marco had been talking about. Despite how diverse the guests in the _Moby Dick_ usually were, that group stood out like a sore thumb. I didn’t recognise any of them but spotted long blond hair. The bad feeling from earlier in the day returned with a vengeance.

When Kid followed my gaze he paled a little: “They’re here because of me…” Marco raised an eyebrow. “The blond one used to be my best friend”, Kid explained. Now the barkeeper looked entirely unimpressed: “They’re trouble, Kid. You should avoid having friends like that invade my club.” Kid’s face darkened: “If I’d known Killer has teamed up with Teach and his gang, I wouldn’t have agreed to meet him in the first place.”

Seeing Marco’s dark expression and the tense set of my boyfriend’s shoulders, at least _I_ was glad we had set up the meeting in the _Moby Dick_. Having Marco and Smoker’s team as our backup gave me a limited sense of security.

I set my glass down on the bar and leaned back, recklessly facing the group around Killer. “I assume they don’t like gay people, right?” Kid nearly snorted his Bloody Mary up his nose. Coughing, he replied: “Yeah, that’s one way of saying it.” I grinned with a confidence I didn’t feel, and said over my shoulder: “I think you’d better inform Smoker and the others. This might get ugly.”

Kid looked a little green around the gills, staring at the group that had started to make their way over to the bar. Marco replaced my whiskey before he seemingly casually walked towards the other end of the bar to signal one of the bouncers.

I took a sip from my glass and bumped my shoulder against Kid’s, just as Killer reached us. Kid straightened up, glaring daggers at his former best friend.

“Who would have thought that you’d actually be stupid enough to show up.” Killer’s voice was dangerously low, and sent an unpleasant shiver down my spine. “Zehahahahaha! And he even brought his little fairy with him”, added a man the size of a bear, with black, wavy hair.

“Shut it, Teach”, Kid snapped. Oh-oh. I hoped my dear boyfriend wasn’t about to lose his cool. Kid’s next words, however, were spoken in a much calmer manner, and once more directed at Killer: “If you’re just here to insult me and my boyfriend, you can leave again. I have nothing to say to you.”

Before I could even blink Killer had moved, grabbing Kid by the collar and snarling: “That’s unfortunate, ‘cause I’ve got a lot to say to _you_ , Kid Eustass. And words will be the least of your problems.”

The guy was strong, I noticed with an uneasy feeling. Kid’s toes were barely touching the floor anymore, and he used both hands to balance himself away from the bar.

 

Time seemed to slow down. I felt my heartbeat pound in my ears. I took half a step forward: “I’d advise you let go of him. Now.”

The ice in my voice didn’t faze Killer in the slightest, as he turned his gaze momentarily away from Kid: “And why should I listen to a skinny fag like you?” From the corner of my eye, I saw Smoker come through the door.

One moment Teach laughed, the next he was right beside me, his fist colliding with my jaw. The force behind his punch slammed me into the counter. I felt momentarily dizzy, tasted blood in my mouth. There was some shuffling to my left, Kid trying to free himself from Killer’s grip and bringing them both to the ground.

More shuffling, as Killer tried to untangle himself from Kid. Suddenly, I saw a flash of metal reflecting the club light. Kid’s pained scream pierced through the fog that clouded my brain. I tried to get my legs under me, get to Kid.

 

Somewhere a door slammed.

I heard a crashing sound when someone was kicked halfway through the room. People screamed. Someone howled in pain; judged by the voice, it was Marco. On hands and feet, I crawled over to where Kid lay bleeding on the floor. “Law…”

A cut lead from his upper arm, over the elbow and down to his fingers. He was losing too much blood. Without thinking, I lunged for the knife Killer had dropped and started to cut Kid’s shirt into long stripes. So much blood.

Kid’s eyes momentarily focused, landed on something behind me. I whipped around, scared it might be Teach again. It wasn’t. For a second I froze, trembling in fear. My hands were still pressed against Kid’s bleeding arm. “Law..?”

I looked back at Kid. “Whitebeard has come”, I said with a shaky voice: “Keep your head down.” There was nothing you could do when Whitebeard started fighting, except trying to keep out of the line of fire.

I focused on the wound, cutting more stripes from Kid’s shirt, trying to at least slow down the bleeding. Behind me, I heard bones break. Kid’s eyes lost and regained focus. Still losing too much blood. Whitebeard said something, but I couldn’t concentrate on the words. Kid’s eyes fluttered close.

 

A gun shot rang through the club, Whitebeard froze, then swayed, and finally dropped down beside me. Blood rushing in my ears. Blood on my hands. Blood on the floor.

 

I heard police sirens, more shouting. I couldn’t think. Panic was making my movements sluggish as I turned towards Whitebeard. My eyes landed on a bleeding wound just below and to the right of his ribcage. Gunshot wound, my brain supplied.

The realisation washed a new wave of adrenaline through my blood. With a last look towards Kid – wound somewhat tidied, blood loss limited with tight bandages, I observed – I turned to Whitebeard. Kid tried to grab my arm, but I twisted away. I needed to help the old man.

The sirens were getting louder. My panic was a living thing, threatening to chock me, fighting against the adrenaline-induced clarity. Blood was seeping through my fingers from the wound in Whitebeard’s chest and blood dripped from his mouth when he coughed weakly.

I prayed to all gods that it was because his stomach was rejecting the amount of blood flowing in. If the bullet had punctured a lung... Couldn’t think about that. Had to focus on trying to keep him alive. But if the paramedics didn’t get here soon, it wouldn’t matter what the bullet missed or didn’t miss. Whitebeard’s breath was getting weaker, and he gave another wet cough. Punctured lung then. Liquid filling the right lung, left lung likely collapsing. Organ failure was next, if the lack of oxygen flow to the brain didn’t do the trick first. I needed to-

Someone ripped me away from Whitebeard’s body. The world was blurring before my eyes, and I sunk back against the bar. My jaw throbbed where Teach’s fist had connected with it.

A second team of paramedics were swarming around Marco, who didn’t look good either. Depending on the strength of the blow he got, internal bleeding was a very real possibility. He was pale, and the club’s lights reflected brightly from cold sweat on his skin. Yet another paramedic was bent over Kid, but I wasn’t overly worried about him. The shreds of t-shirt I had wrapped around his arms were far from professional, but they likely stopped him from dying of blood loss.

 

The adrenaline left my system with alarming speed and exhaustion took over. I closed my eyes against the pandemonium around me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ended up a lot longer than the original. In the previous version, this chapter only started when they are at Kid’s flat, so yeah... No surprise it got that long.  
> Of course I had to bring Teach into this. He owns the Raft, which has conveniently been tagged as a bar in this AU since the beginning. And where Teach is, there is pain and death for Whitebeard and Marco, and everyone is getting hurt. Everything will be fine, though, promise!
> 
> A few notes on the chapter:  
> The eyeliner story: Yes, the cotton swab trick works, but it’s a damn delicate business. And I imagine some of the guys and girls at the Red Force taking one look at Kid’s bad eyeliner and basically deciding that oh look at that poor puppy, we need to help. It’s what I’d do!  
> Injuries: I do not claim the medical descriptions in this chapter are entirely realistic, and we’re not even beginning to talk about what Law’s doing to keep Kid, and hopefully Whitebeard alive.
> 
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	38. January 7 - Present

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a lot to say in advance, so...  
> Enjoy!

_Kid’s POV_

 

A steady beeping woke me. I tried to open my eyes. My lids felt leaden and there was an odd taste on my tongue. Felt a bit like hangover. Limbs heavy, I tried to push up on my elbow.

A soft hand on my shoulder stopped me. ”Law…?”, I murmured, throat parched. Darkness engulfed me again, before Law had the chance to reply. Or maybe he did, but I was under again before his words reached my ears.

 

The next time I came to, there were softly murmuring voices around me in addition to the ever-present beeping. This time I managed to crack my eyes open. White light blinded me, and I still felt like I’d been hit by a truck. Slowly turning my head, I spotted Law sitting hunched over in a chair beside my bed. Ah, hospital.

Law’s head snapped up when he heard me move and he gave me a tired, worried smile. His eyeliner was smudged, highlighting the bags under his eyes, which were even darker than usual. Behind him, I noticed two more beds, both occupied.

“Wha’… what happened?”, I asked.

“Shh… you’re dehydrated. Wait”, he reached for something on the nightstand beside my bed. He held out a cup with a straw in it, and I carefully took a few sips. The cold water helped with my dry throat and made me feel a tiny bit better. I looked around again.

My left arm was wrapped in bandages, and in the right arm an IV was steadily pumping a clear liquid into my blood stream. I furrowed my brows, trying to remember enough chemistry to identify what they were giving me there. Law, who noticed my look, quickly picked up on my curiosity (and probably remembered my subpar Chemistry grades): “Saline solution. You lost quite a bit of blood, so they need to help your body rehydrate itself.”

He sounded so tired. Not just physically exhausted, but tired in body and mind. Half his face was swollen up and turning and unhealthy blue. “What time is it?”, I wanted to know: “What happened?”

“Your idiot friends happened!”, an angry voice snapped at me from one of the other beds. “Marco, stop giving him a hard time”, Law replied in my place: “Neither he nor I could have known that Killer would come with that many friends, let alone that he would be armed.”

Killer. Right. The fight… Again, I looked at my boyfriend, trying to get him to tell me what the hell had happened after I passed out. My memories were hazy. All I remembered was Teach landing a solid blow on Law, me trying to get to him, Killer drawing a knife and then… nothing.

Law sighed. “It’s seven in the morning. You’ve been in here since two, same as Smoker over there. Marco came out of the ER around four, woke up an hour ago and has been angry since. We’re still waiting on news from Whitebeard.”

He rubbed a hand over his tired face, flinching when he brushed over the bruise. “Marco’s got a broken arm and they had to cut him open to stop a haemorrhage. Teach got him in the stomach. If Smoker hadn’t alerted the police and paramedics before the fight even started…” Another sigh. I reached out with my good hand, careful not to accidentally rip out the IV, and grabbed his hand. How did all of this go so terribly wrong?

“Smoker got a concussion, two cracked ribs and a couple of shallow cuts. Teach… Teach is dead. Whitebeard broke his skull when he knocked him down. No idea how Killer’s doing. I didn’t think to ask about him, there was just so much going on, and…” I stopped him with a shake of my head. I didn’t care about Killer. He was alive, and that would have to be enough. Law met my eyes and the look in them made me want to reach out, protect him from his own mind, which I could see running at a million miles an hour.

Before I had the chance to do or say anything, though, the door opened and a whole group of nurses pushed in yet another bed. Marco’s head whipped around, eyes locking on the injured man being wheeled in.

I had never actually seen Whitebeard. There were rumours and stories about the owner of the _Moby Dick_ , of course. Even the guys in the _Red Force_ talked about him with awe in their voice. One of the barkeepers claimed to know him from years back, but no one knew whether to believe him. Coming face to face with the man now, I felt reminded of my first meeting with Rayleigh. They were cut from the same cloth, the same kind of strengths running through them.

Whitebeard met Marco’s eyes and grinned. “You shouldn’t scare us like that, old man”, Marco said in a stern voice, but the relieve was evident on his face. “Gurarara!”, Whitebeard laughed loudly: “You should know that I’m not killed that easily!”

I saw Law shake his head in disbelieve, silently forming words with his lips, but no sound escaped. “Law…?” My boyfriend leaned closed to me, eyes still fixed on Whitebeard, as he watched the nurses arrange the bed sheets. “Punctured lung from what I’ve seen. Huge gunshot wound. No clue how he even survived in the first place. The paramedics were quick, but usually…”, he explained: “Then again, that any of us is still alive is a miracle, so I simply gave up on logic if I’m honest.” I nodded, numbly. Once again, I wondered how everything could have gone _so_ wrong. While I hadn’t expected Killer to be entirely back to what he used to be before he learned I was gay, the level of hostility was… I guessed that no matter how long I would think about it, I’d never be able to reconcile the memories of my childhood friend with the man I had met the previous night at the _Moby Dick_.

Whitebeard’s voice cut through my thoughts and brought me back to the present. “Thanks for patching me up, by the way.” Law raised his tired eyes and gave an unsure nod. “Doctors said I wouldn’t have made it without your help. And it would have been a close call for your boyfriend there, too.”

Law smiled weakly, while I could just stare. I tried to remember what Law had done, but my fuzzy memory only supplied an image of me grabbing for my boyfriend’s arm and him twisting away. I squeezed his hand to get his attention back and looked at him questioningly. Law turned his head back towards me and just shrugged.

This time it was Smoker who spoke up: “He patched you up with stripes of your own shirt before he moved over to the boss and somehow kept his lungs working long enough for the paramedics to get there.”

“Almost makes up for you leading that group to the _Moby_ in the first place”, muttered Marco. Whitebeard let out a harsh noise: “Don’t give them crap for that. I’m sure they didn’t expect such an attack. Law’s been a customer with us long enough. And neither could have anticipated my bouncers to let any of them in carrying a gun!” Smoker shrunk in on himself.

 

I was just about to ask Law how long I’d have to stay in the room, when the door burst open and his mother, Carl, and Kathrine with Annie on her arms came into the already crowded room.

“My god! Are you boys ok?” “We were so worried!” “You really need to stop going to such dangerous places.” “Father is worried sick! And he’s trying to keep Grandma from alerting all of Drum and get you transferred there. What were you thinking!”

I shot a disapproving look at my family, a similar sentiment radiating from Law. Because really, the _Moby Dick_ was not _truly_ dangerous; at least as long as Killer and Teach stayed away from the place. Their mixing voices were giving me a headache, and I didn’t want to imagine what it must have been doing to Law, who probably hadn’t slept at all while he sat guard in the hospital room.

Before anyone could stop her, Law’s mother stalked over to Whitebeard’s bed and poked an angry finger in his arm – his arm simply because it was the highest point she could reach without poking one of the bandages. Recklessness seemed to be a family trait. No normal person would dare speak with Whitebeard in this tone, not even when the man was wrapped up like that. “Are you the owner of this horrible place?”

"Mum...", Law tried but she shut him up with an angry glare. "Yes, ma'am. I'm the owner of the _Moby Dick_ ”, Whitebeard replied in a serious tone. Marco tried to muffle his laughter behind his hand. Law's mother turned to the blond with a disapproving frown.

"Mum, I think that's enough now. They saved us, after all." She blushed a little and said. "I had planned to thank you all for it. But I just…"

Whitebeard patted her on the shoulder, nearly knocking her off her feet. "That's fine ma'am. Your son is a brave kid. And almost as reckless as his mother, I think." Her blush deepened and Marco couldn't hold back his laughter any longer.

I turned my attention to my brother Carl, who was snapping pictures of the IV, my bandages, and the medical records at the foot of my bed. “The hell you think you’re doing?”, I muttered. My angry tone nearly lost, thanks to the weakness of my voice. Carl looked up, frowning at me. “I’m sending this to Mike, hoping that he’ll be able to stop Nanna.”, he explained: “She really is worried, Kid.”

I sighed. I couldn’t even argue. While I would have preferred Nanna staying out of this, especially if her getting involved meant I’d be transferred to Drum, last night had been a close call.

“Want me to give Mike the rundown of his injuries?”, Law offered. I shifted my glance to my boyfriend. His mother was talking quietly to Kathrine and Marco. Carl hesitated, then he handed the phone to Law. “Just call him and give him the medical lingo. It’s faster than texting back and forth”, my brother sighed.

Law nodded, and walked out of the room already speaking into the phone. I dropped my head back onto the cushion. The room felt too full. There were too many people talking around me, and even though the conversations were quiet, the words grated on my nerves.

“Can you get me out of here?”, I asked Law the moment he was back at my side. “If you can accept being placed in a wheelchair, I might be able to get the nurses to agree.” I pulled a face at his reply, but nodded still. I needed a cigarette, and I assumed Law hadn’t left the room since he arrived, either.

 

We had to wait for our families to leave, before we could sneak out. Whitebeard was dozing in his bed, still somewhat out of it from surgery and the strong pain meds they were giving him. Marco was trying to get through the long list of employees and call them all before the entire staff of the _Moby Dick_ ended up invading the hospital room.

With Law’s help, I relocated to the dreaded wheelchair and let him cart me to the hospital park.  

I had just managed to light my cigarette when two police officers approached us. “Trafalgar Law?”, one of them called out and my boyfriend nodded. “I am Inspector Tashigi, this is Lieutenant Hina. We are here to ask you a few questions about yesterday night’s incident at the _Moby Dick_.”

Law nodded, but the mere idea of retelling what had happened seemed to exhaust him even further, and he leaned heavily against my wheelchair. “Go on, Inspector”, Law said: “As you may know, this is Kid Eustass. He’s one of the victims.” Lieutenant Hina nodded, but made no further move to intervene in her Inspector’s interrogation. I briefly wondered whether they shouldn’t have interviewed us separately, but was glad they didn’t insist on it.

“The thing is, Mister Trafalgar, this was not the first violent attack on a gay couple this group has lead. So far, we simply lacked evidence to tie them down.”

“So you’re trying to tell me that Teach and Killer have been doing this before? Attacking and hurting people just for their sexuality?”, Law snapped, his anger bubbling over. Tashigi nodded, sadly: “We’ve tried to get them for a few weeks. As I said, we lacked evidence, and the attacks have never been this violent. I’m relieved this mess is now over.”

“What do you mean, over?”, I asked: “Teach may be dead, and Killer should be out of commission for a few weeks, but there were like ten guys at the club yesterday!” Inspector Tashigi looked uncomfortable for a moment, and cast a glance at her superior. Lieutenant Hina took a step forward. “We found the rest of the gang swimming belly-up in the river today morning”, she explained: “No idea who put them there or why, but forensics said that it doesn’t look good for evidence, because they’ve been soaked. They might find something yet, but…” She shrugged, unapologetically. I got the impression she wouldn’t feel too bad, if no one ever found who took that particular gang out. I felt bile rise in my throat.

“Are you here to see whether any of the _Moby Dick_ were responsible?”, Law’s voice cut through my thought. Tashigi shook her head: “Absolutely not. We need statements from the Misters Newgate, Smoker, and Phoenix still, but the other staff on duty we already talked to during the night. Police officers have contacted those off duty today morning. None of them are under suspicion.”

Law nodded, seemingly relived: “What about Whitebeard?” “Mister Newgate?”, Inspector Tashigi inquired: “There will certainly be an investigation, but I doubt there will even be a court case. It’s not the first time we’ve seen him get into trouble; he’s good at getting out of it unharmed.” Being shot, I thought to myself, should not be considered _unharmed_.

There was a faint smile on Lieutenant Hina’s face, as if she knew that Whitebeard hadn’t always been innocent. “So tell me, Mister Trafalgar, what happened?”, continued Tashigi, and Law launched into a very brief description of us arriving at the club, Marco pointing out the odd group of guests. I felt slightly sick as I listened to Law describe how I had gone down, the knife wound, him patching up first me and then Whitebeard.

“One of the patrols drove me to the hospital, because I obviously couldn’t go along in the ambulance, and then I waited”, Law finished his tale. Inspector Tashigi nodded: “Thank you for your time. We’ll poke our head into the hospital to see whether any of the other injured are up for questions.” Her and Lieutenant Hina said their goodbyes, and I watched them as they headed to the main entrance.

 

When I turned around to Law again, I saw him light another cigarette and fixate his gaze on two figures cautiously approaching us from a more densely planed part of the park. Law smiled tiredly, and raised a hand in greeting. As the figures got closer, I recognised Rayleigh’s white hair, and smiled too.

“Why the careful approach?”, asked Law, once the two came into hearing distance. Shakky smirked and lit a cigarette. “Rayleigh might have gotten himself into a little too much trouble last night.”, she explained. The white haired man laughed. An odd tingle of understanding tickled through me, but was gone before I could truly connect the pieces of the picture.

“How are you, Kid?”, Shakky asked, giving me a concerned look. “Exhausted from blood loss, but otherwise fine”, I replied. Rayleigh nodded: “And the old man?” Law gave him a surprised look. “You know Whitebeard?” “Sure we do”, Shakky said with a small grin, but offered no further explanation.

“He got himself shot, but somehow survived. He’s bound to a hospital bed for a few weeks, I’d reckon”, my boyfriend explained, making Rayleigh laugh. “As if the old man would stay put in a hospital bed for more than a few days!” I gave him a sceptical look. Regardless of the rumours I had heard about Whitebeard, not even a legendary man like him could recover from a shot wound that easily. Then again, judged by Law’s explanation, Whitebeard shouldn’t even have survived in the first place…

Shakky held up a brown paper bag: “Think the police has left already? I brought breakfast for the guys – and you too, of course, Kid – but I don’t feel like having a talk with Inspector Hina.”

The fact that Shakky apparently also knew Hina made me look at her disbelievingly, but judged by the fact that Law didn’t even flinch and simply murmured _it’s Lieutenant Hina_ made me realise that I should probably just give up trying to understand the dynamics and connections surrounding Shakky.

Who knew, maybe the police liked Logue Town café as well, and that’s where she knew Hina from. Then again, if that were the case, Shakky would have known Hina’s rank and… I gave up. The increasing confusion was giving me a headache, and I was still too exhausted from blood loss to truly try and comprehend what the hell was going on.

 

Instead of questioning the situation, I let Law push me back towards the hospital, a brown paper bag sitting on my lap, and the instructions to _feed the injured_ , still ringing in my ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can put away the pitch forks now, everyone lives.   
> As mentioned, my medical knowledge is very limited, but if this story were realistic in any way, Whitebeard should be dead. Punctured lung is a pretty save way to get a personal chat with the Grim Reaper.  
> But this is fanfiction, so have a tiny element of fantasy-one-piece-level-healing with your happy (almost) ending. Just five more chapters to go!  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	39. January 8 - The Last Day of Winter Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short one this time.  
> Enjoy!

_Law’s POV_

 

As I was walking into the hospital room the next morning, armed with another large paper bag curtesy of Shakky, I found Kid looking at his hospital breakfast in mild disgust. I supressed a smile. Hospital lunch and dinner could be a little unappetising, but that thing they had served for breakfast that day didn’t even look edible. I called a general hello into the room, took Kid’s sandwitch from the bag and handed the rest over to Marco. The relieve on everyone’s faces made me grin.

After arriving home the previous evening, I had just dropped on my bed, still in Saturday’s clothes, and fell asleep. My mother woke me in the morning, and informed me that Shakky had called about rations delivery before she left for work. I was a little worried about her, mainly because once the papers got to cover the incident at the Moby Dick, people might be asking questions. I just hoped our names would be kept out of the news…

“He didn’t bring me any sake, did he?”, Whitebeard asked, while Marco distributed the food. “Ignore him…”, Smoker muttered in response to my disapproving glance and started to unwrap his sandwich with his good hand.

 

Sitting down beside Kid’s bed, I pulled out my mobile and quickly sent off an update to Mike. Bethany was apparently not impressed that she had been denied an intervention, and the only thing keeping her from acting were regular updates from Mike.

Once my tasks for the day were over through, I found my thoughts wandering back to the fight and the people involved. I tried not to think about it too much, but given how close I had been to the action, it was to be expected that I would overthink.

I couldn’t find it in me to pity Teach. From what I had learned, he had been the owner of the _Raft_ , and all I knew about _that_ place, was that you best avoided it. It was a miracle that the police hadn’t shut the place down before the attack in the _Moby Dick_ and on Whitebeard. Rumour had it that it was a breeding ground for extremists, and judging by what I had seen from Teach’s gang, the rumours held true.

Still, that Teach was dead was hard to comprehend. As was the fact that his entire gang simply ended up with the fishes the night they attacked Whitebeard. While I wasn’t saddened to know they wouldn’t be preying upon anyone else, whenever I thought about someone downright _murdering_ them, something in me recoiled. I had always known the _Moby Dick_ was toeing the border of illegal territory, but Whitebeard seemed to have friends in even darker circles.

Shaking my head slightly, I tried to dislocate the thought. I liked the _Moby Dick_ , and I liked Whitebeard. It didn’t matter who or why they had taken revenge for the attack. These people held no connection to me, and I wouldn’t continue dwelling on the topic.

I looked at Kid. My boyfriend must have watched me while I was lost in my thoughts, and gave me a concerned look. I shrugged. “Want me to take you on a wheelchair round through the park?”, I asked, to distract him from his question. He nodded and I fetched the chair. Kid probably didn’t need it anymore, but I figured it was better to take the chair this time around, instead of being forced to return to the hospital room because he got too tired to stand.

 

Once outside, I settled on one of the park benches, Kid’s wheelchair close beside me. My boyfriend gave me a long look. I smiled, still ignoring that he obviously wanted to know about my wellbeing, and asked him: “So, when will the doctors let you out?” Kid huffed, clearly aware of my poor distraction tactic. “They say a few days from now, depending on the blood test. But even then they won’t allow me to go to school, as I’m apparently _too weak_ ”, he spat the last word, apparently disgusted with the mere idea of being weak.

I hummed to show him I had heard, and looked over the park. “They say I’ll keep a pretty nasty scar all along my arm…”, Kid continued absentmindedly. I turned my head to meet his eyes, but he was staring unseeingly at the ground. I carefully reached out my hand, tracing the line of the cut along his arms. Kid looked up: “You know exactly where it is, don’t you?” I could only nod my head, memories chocking me. There had been so much blood…

“You saved me, Law”, Kid spoke in a soft voice: “You stopped the bleeding. Despite the chaos around you, you kept a clear enough head to not only save me, but also keep Whitebeard alive long enough for the paramedics to take over.”

I shook my head. I hadn’t kept a clear head. “I panicked. I didn’t know what to do, the bandages around your arm were…” I stopped, took a few calming breaths: “I couldn’t think straight, and then Whitebeard got shot and… I thought I was going to lose you…”

My hand was shaking when Kid reached for it and carefully laced his fingers through mine. He was stroking his thumb in small circles over the back of my hand, looking out over the park while I fought to regain my composure. I had been so close to losing him. We were still so young, and I knew that while I loved him deeply, no one could tell what the future would hold. But the mere idea of losing my boyfriend like this… I took a shuddering breath. I needed to calm down. Kid was alive, he would be fine in a few days. A little bed rest, and all would be back to normal. Well, as normal as our lives could be, at least.

“The bike shop”, Kid suddenly said: “You know the one close to my place? They are looking for an apprentice.” My head jerked around, looking at him. “Have you applied yet?” Kid chuckled humourlessly and shook his head. I was about to reprimand him for it, because I thought his hesitance was linked to his believe that he should follow the more scholarly approach favoured by his brothers, but he stopped me before I had uttered a single word: “I only saw the flyer on Thursday. I wanted to put together and application over the weekend, and then, well…” I nodded in understanding. Yeah. Then the whole world went to shit for a few days.

“If you give me the key to your flat, I could get your laptop, and a few clothes as well, I guess”, I suggested. Kid nodded, smiling softly. “Will you be all right tomorrow?”, he asked. I frowned at him: “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because the whole school will know?”, Kid suggested with an eye roll: “Sure, the other don’t usually go to the _Moby Dick_ , but stories like that _always_ spread!” “So?”, I prompted, still not quite sure how what Kid was implying. “So?”, he echoed: “The whole school will guess your gay?” I shrugged. I hadn’t wasted much thought about what the people at school might think. Vivi had guessed a while ago, but had apparently kept quiet about it. And even if people figured it had been Kid and I in the bar when the fight broke out, there was little I could do about it. “It’s not like I care what they think”, I explained calmly. Kid sighed: “I’ve been there. I’ve seen an entire school turn against someone just for being gay, remember?”

Again I shrugged. “If that’s what they’re going to do, then so be it. I can’t change it”, I replied. With a quick look at my mobile I got up: “I need to bring you back to your room now. I promised Robin I’d take the afternoon shift and I also need to report to Shakky before.” Kid nodded in understanding, but didn’t look too thrilled to be left on his own device for the rest of the day.

“I’ll drop by your flat on my way home, and then bring you your stuff tomorrow after school; together with some homework”, I said, as I pushed the wheelchair back towards the hospital entrance. Kid groaned: “Really? I’m chained to a hospital bed and you are going to bring me _homework_?” Laughing, I bent down to place a quick kiss on his hair. “Trust me, by this time tomorrow, you’ll be glad for _any_ distraction!”

 

Almost an hour later, I hurried down the street towards _Logue Town Café_ , nearly knocking over Rayleigh who just came out of the door. He gave me a brief nod and disappeared down a side street without further comment. Frowning, I entered the shop and made my way to the counter. The place was packed and so loud that I hardly heard Shakky’s greeting over the noise.

“How’s the old man?” “Seems ok; lively as always. Will probably drive all the nurses batty within days because he want to get out of the hospital”, I replied. Shakky nodded and gave me a soft smile. “Kid?”, she asked next and I shrugged. “Should be out of the place in the next few days. He’s still quite weak. It was a close call.”

Shakky filled a cup and placed a slice of cake in front of me. I gave her a fond look: “You know I’ve got to head over to work. My shift starts in half an hour!” But Shakky just smiled, not saying anything. With an exasperated sigh I took a sip of my coffee, and picked up the fork. There was a temporary break in the endless stream of customers, and so Shakky leaned against the bar opposite me. I knew there was something she wanted to tell me, otherwise I would never have gotten free cake.

“Law listen”, she began: “You know I’m in no way against your relationship with Kid. Just be careful. The people Teach was hanging around with, they’re dangerous.” “They’re dead, Shakky.”, I said, swallowing around the lump forming in my throat at the mentioning of the man. She shook her head: “Not all of them. There is always more people like him, and from what I gathered, some are still out there. Look, just be careful. Even Rayleigh is worried.” I nodded, finishing my coffee. “I’ll be as careful as I can be. But I’m not going to leave Kid just because some people are ignorant assholes!”

Shakky smiled, but there was something sad behind her eyes. I wanted to know what she was thinking about, but there was no time to ask. I leaned over the bar, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before gathering my things.

“Don’t worry, Shakky. I’ll be fine!”, I called over my shoulder as I headed back outside and turned my steps towards Starbucks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quite a bit of what was originally part of this chapter landed in the previous one, so content wise this is chapter is quite short. Next up we have an interlude, which will at last connect all the open ends.  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	40. Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love this chapter! I hope some of you will, too.  
> Enjoy!

" _I told you_ no _!"_

_"But Rayleigh..! We cannot leave it like this. They challenged us!"_

_A teenager with blood-red hair stared at Rayleigh furiously. "Shanks. Trust me if I tell you that fighting them will not serve anyone." "They insulted Roger! How can you just stand idle when they spit on everything the captain has ever fought for?"_

_The older man sighed. The petit Buggy and Shanks’ friend Ben stood behind the shouting redhead. The rest of their group had gathered around the scene, watching curiously._ " _Shanks… You need to learn when you have to just ignore things. They haven't hurt anyone."_ – yet _; he added mentally._

_The older man knew all too well that he wouldn't be able to keep the youngsters in check much longer. Since Roger's death they were nervous and all too eager to jump into action. Akainu’s challenge was just the excuse they needed to take revenge; or so they thought._

 

Rayleigh sat on the roof of the _Logue Town Café_ and looked up into the cloudless sky. Sighing he took long swing from the bottle he held in his hand.

 

" _You're just a coward!”, Shanks shouted accusingly: “Since the captain died you're hiding in here, doing nothing!" Rayleigh felt his temper flare at the insult. The gathered crew held their breaths. Then the older man closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He dropped down on the next best crate laying around in their improvised hideout and looked up at Shanks. "And throwing away your life and that of your comrades is going to make what difference exactly?"_

 _The redhead flinched. "But we cannot do_ nothing _!" Rayleigh shook his head. "No. But at the moment we cannot do anything, either. We have to wait for the right time and hope that things will calm down a little. Roger's death has left its trace. People will not easily forget it."_

 

On the rooftop, the white-haired man trembled. If from the cold or the memories that haunted him, he could not have said. He had believed the argument to be over for the moment. He had dared to hope that he had Shanks under control, if just for a few more days.

 

" _I'll go." Shanks whispered to Ben and the rest of his team. "I don't care what the old man said. I'll take revenge for Roger." "Shanks…" Buggy tired but was cut off when the redhead's temper took the better of him once again. "No. I will not listen to you. You don't have to suffer as much as I do. You'll never really know what it means to have the whole world against you. You can just walk away like Laetitia and Joe!"_

" _That's enough now, Shanks." Ben's voice was calm, but there was something cold behind it. The dark-haired teen was clever enough to know that he wouldn't be able to stop Shanks, not this time. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try. He still held one trump card, the one argument that usually brought Shanks to his senses: "I won't come with you. This is suicide and if you want to throw away your life, feel free to do so. I plan to continue for a few more years. I'm out."_

 _His words stopped Shanks momentarily, and he stared at him complete shock. The rest of the team murmured their agreement to Ben's statement. "But I_ need _you there with me!" The redhead almost pleaded._

" _Nope. Not this time…" And Ben left the room, without letting anyone see the pain in his eyes. Around the next corner he bumped into Rayleigh._

 

Rayleigh raked his fingers through his white hair and shook his head. He had even questioned Ben if he knew anything about Shanks' plan that night. The dark-haired boy had said that Shanks had calmed down. Rayleigh had so desperately wanted to believe him that he had ignored his instincts and didn’t go look for the redhead himself. To this day, it was one of the biggest regrets.

 

_The next day, Rayleigh caught Buggy trying to sneak away from the group. After minutes of questioning, the small boy finally broke down and told Rayleigh that he had wanted to follow Shanks. Looking around the room, searching the entire hideout, and the older man realized that not only was Shanks gone, but Ben, too, was nowhere to be found._

_Then he heard the thundering noise of a gunshot. His hand flew to his own belt, only to find his pistol missing. "Ben…" The dark-haired teen had always had a talent and fascination for shooting. And a rather terrifying aim to go with it, if Rayleigh had to be honest. Apparently his pickpocketing skills were not so bad either._

_Rayleigh ran._

_Three streets away he found them. Shanks was unconscious, lying in a pool of his own blood, his left arm a mess. That would have to be amputated, Rayleigh knew with a quick glance, as he knelt down to stop the blood gushing out of the torn up mess that had once been a healthy limb. Ben stood at the window of an empty building, second floor, gun still in hand. Akainu was gone, of course._

_"Give me that gun!" Rayleigh snarled. The dark haired teen had refused at first; clinging to the pistol as if it was a life line. The older man was pretty sure that the weapon was what had just kept_ Shanks _alive, though he couldn't be sure if the shot had hit Akainu._

 

Rayleigh woke from his reverie, when a blanket was gently placed on his shoulders. "You're thinking about Shanks and Ben again." He nodded. Shakky picked the bottle from his hands and took a long swing.

_The police had been fast in finding the gunman. Rayleigh had tried to protect Ben, to take the blame, but the police hadn’t bought it. Ben’s only saving grace had been that he was still a minor and the time he had had to spend in prison was relatively short. It had still changed him. Had changed them all._

_Shanks had grown up the hard way._   _He had lost his arm and his best friend had lost his freedom. Akainu had walked away with nothing. When Ben had eventually been allowed into freedom again he had scars all over his body. What they had done to his soul, Rayleigh didn't dare to imagine. Nevertheless, the dark-haired teen, now a man, for better or worse, had stayed with the group. And he had stayed with Shanks._

 

Rayleigh had never been a particularly violent man. But that time he had had to act; to draw the line and hold it, or Akainu would have crushed them all. Insults and stupid jokes on their cost were fine, even insulting Roger's dream was somehow bearable. Hurting one of their crew was not. And Akainu would pay. As much as Rayleigh hadn’t liked it, he had known he needed help on that one.

And so, the evening the jury had announced Ben’s punishment, his footsteps had lead him to Edward Newgate's house.

 

"It was you who paid him back, wasn’t it?" Rayleigh looked up and turned his head to glance at Shakky. "Akainu. They never found out who did it."

Oh yes, he had let the other man pay. Getting Roger killed was one thing. Although only very few people had known, the captain had suffered from a terminal illness and would have died either way. To this day, Rayleigh was convinced that Roger hadn’t minded the way he died.

But for Akainu and his gang to take Shanks' arm… That was more than Rayleigh could ever forgive; and his captain would have agreed. And so had Whitebeard. Newgate had always been fond the cheery redhead. "I made him understand a few things, yes.", he replied after a long moment of silence.

Shakky leaned against him and sighed. "Things are better now. People still dislike everyone that is  _different,_  but they don't openly hunt them. Most of the time at least…" Rayleigh knew she was talking about Law and Kid now. The two were what had reminded him of the old days. "I hope they'll be ok."

Shakky laughed: "With Whitebeard as a protector? You shouldn't worry."

"He's not getting younger…" Rayleigh pointed out. "Neither are you. And nevertheless, you picked the fight with Teach's gang." The silver haired man smiled a cruel little smile: "I may have had help…"

Shakky looked up, a wicked grin on her face. "I knew they'd be back eventually." He nodded and looked up at the stars once more.

 

 

Not too far away, two men stood in front of the closed doors of the _Moby Dick_. Ben's hair had gotten grey, something he fully blamed on his partner and never forgot to mention to everybody.

Shanks smiled at the sign of the white whale on the door. "We should visit the old man in hospital." Ben laughed. "Don't think so. He'd beat the crap out of you, for one reason or the other." "Ah, that’s probably true…"

 

Shanks took out a card from his pocket and pinned it to the door, right in the middle of the white sign. _Red Force_.

Ben chuckled lightly and looked down at his partner. The redhead raised his head and met his eyes. "He'll understand, won't he?" The other man smiled and wrapped one arm around Shank's waist. "I don't think there is a single human being that could ever forget you, even if they tried."

Shanks just grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is my baby, ok?  
> And it also finally connects all the dots from the past. Laetitia DeWater and Joe Trafalgar, who used to hang around Roger’s crew, Rayleigh who asked Edward Newgate to help him. Remember when Law’s mother said things got ugly when trouble found Roger, but that was another story? That’s this story.  
> I have a wonderful, burning hate towards Akainu, especially for the way he views justice etc. in canon, so he’s my go-to guy when I need a villain. He’s very narrow-minded in canon, and he’s even more narrow-minded in this story. Fill in the blanks what he did to get Roger killed, it’s really of no importance. 
> 
> I imagine the Red Force being owned by Shanks, but that he’s mostly out of town, doing whatever he feels like. Probably annoy Mihawk, wherever the guy may be in this AU…
> 
> This chapter is very dear to me, and it took very little rewriting, which is why it is so short.  
> Let me know what you think?  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	41. January 9 - Monday Monday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, a chapter from Law’s POV. It just makes more sense because despite the cock up with the POV a few chapters ago and the effort I put in to fix that, Monday morning in school just doesn’t work with Kid’s POV, full stop.
> 
> So yeah. Here we are.  
> Enjoy!
> 
> Warning for this chapter: Homophobic language, and a good portion of narrow-mindedness.  
> The views expressed by the characters are not my own and only serve as a plot point.

_Law’s POV_

 

When my alarm when off that Monday I felt the strong urge to just call in sick again. Unfortunately, I had promised Kid that I’d bring his homework along this afternoon, so I had little choice but to get my ass into gear and make my way over to school. Plus, while my mother was sympathetic for my situation, she wouldn’t tolerate me being a coward. And if she could stand up to her entire family for the man she loved, then I’d be damned if I couldn’t stand up to a school full of idiots.

I had never cared what people in school thought of me, and I hadn’t planned on starting now. Nevertheless, despite my brave words to Kid the previous day, I felt nervous about facing school. Not because, as Kid may have assumed, people could have learned that I’m in a relationship with another man, but because I dreaded questions about the fight at the _Moby Dick_.

If I was honest, I just wanted to forget it had all happened. Although Whitebeard thought I was a brave mini-hero, I didn’t feel like it. The mere memory of Kid lying on the floor, bleeding out had me shaking, panic rising in my throat like bile. So I did my best to just… not think about it, and I prayed to a god I didn’t believe in, that people wouldn’t ask questions.

Additionally, the first day after the holidays was always the _worst_. It must have had something to do with Mondays…

 

I found my mother in the kitchen, preparing breakfast, and for once I even had time to sit down and enjoy my coffee. “You’ll be ok, right?”, my mother asked and I looked up at her, somewhat surprised. Why was everyone asking me that? I was just going to school. Nothing special. Same old boring place as always.

“Sure.”, I replied between two sips of coffee: “Why shouldn’t I be?” She shrugged and gave my shoulder a short squeeze when passing me on the way to the fridge. “I guess you’ll want to head straight to the hospital after school today, but would you mind buying bread at some point? I’ve got the afternoon shift and won’t have time to go grocery shopping before work.”

Murmuring my agreement into my cup, I took the money she was handing me before I got up, kissed her on the cheek and grabbed my bag. Before I left the flat, though, I turned back to look at her again: “Will _you_ be ok?”

I still wasn’t sure how much detail of the incident at the _Moby_ had gotten to the press and I had no idea how much people at my mother’s work place knew. If they had somehow learned that I had been present, let alone involved in the fighting, they wouldn’t give my mother a moment’s peace. As if reading my thought, she replied: “A few of my colleagues gathered from my worried looks, but your name was never mentioned in context. At least not in our shop, but I haven’t checked the papers yet.” I nodded. That would have to be enough.

And maybe it also meant that not the _entire_ school would know…

 

Icy winter air greeted me when I stepped out of the building and despite my coat I had to supress a shiver. Stuffing my hands into my coat pockets, I hastily made my way to the bus stop – it was just too damn cold to walk to school. Plus, I wanted to see whether anyone on the bus would recognise my face as _the one from the_ Moby Dick.

 

To my relief I managed to arrive in school without attracting a single strange glance shot my way, and I almost dared to hope that mine and Kid’s worries had been unwarranted. Once in the classroom, however, I quickly realised that I had been a little too hasty in my optimism, too.

Whispers and questioning glances followed me through the room and to my usual seat at the back end of the classroom. Ignoring them all, I dropped my bag onto the empty chair beside me and dropped down into my seat before facing the gathered class with a cold smile.

A few people gave me a nod before looking away, seemingly not bothered by my presence or whatever rumour had spread about me. Or they simply didn’t care. Either was fine in my books. A few girls smiled and started giggling, earning themselves a dark look. I seriously hoped that part would blow over quickly. I didn’t fancy being their… I honestly didn’t want to know…

Then my eyes landed on two girls in particular, and I felt my confidence waver. Vivi stood beside Nami, glaring daggers across the room. Keeping the icy smile firmly on my face, I met her eyes. I had never really cared about Vivi, if I was honest I hardly interacted with her at all. Had she not asked me for a dance, and then found me at my work place, I wouldn’t have known she had an interest in me at all. However, that interest was now a rather uncomfortable inconvenience. If Vivi decided to hold a grunge because I was no longer on the market, well… She was quite the gossip after all.

I turned my attention back to my bag, digging through it for a pen and my notebook, and almost missed Vivi making her way over to me, closely followed by Nami. I raised my head just in time to see a concerned look flash over Nami’s face, before the two girls had reached me. I did my best to look innocent and met the confrontation in Vivi’s eyes head on.

I had received my fair share of icy stares and wasn’t fazed by it. However, my position at the back end of the room offered little room to escape, or avoid sharp nails, should Vivi be truly upset. With little other options, I kept the smile firmly in place and waited.

“So that’s why you never dated any of us? You’re fucking Eustass Kid! That’s just… eww!” I let my smile widen at Vivi’s nasty words. “Very eloquently put, Miss Nefertari”, I replied. In truth, I was surprised how much the look of disgust on her face hurt. It was true that I never cared what people thought, but Vivi had been almost pleasant, for the most part, and I hadn’t taken her for so narrow-minded. Neither had Nami, apparently, for she gave her friend a shocked look, and grabbed the girl’s arm, trying to drag her away, but Vivi resisted.

I sighed. “As I’ve explained to you before, the reason I never dated any of you lot, is because I don’t date people from school. Kid is the exception to the rule, and I plan to keep him the _only_ exception”, I stated calmly. Vivi appeared to be at a loss of words, and Nami used the opportunity to pull her away, leading her out of the classroom.

I briefly wondered whether Vivi’s hurt pride would be the worst I’d have to deal with.

 

The day was half over, and I was making my way through the crowd in front of the classroom doors, when the first truly nasty comment came up. A blond boy, backed up by a group of friends – _friends?_ – called out over the crowd. “You better keep away from us, you disgusting little fag!”, he snivelled: “Wouldn’t want your mental disease to spread across the school. Maybe you should be expelled?”

I barely managed to keep my temper in check, but a flash of memory, an image of Kid’s bleeding arm, stopped me. I wouldn’t start a fight, not so soon after being involved in one. So instead of turning around and using the momentum of my spin to punch the speaker square on the nose, I just looked at him.

I knew the guy. He had always been an arrogant prick and a cry-baby. He had been blessed with enough money to probably wipe his ass with it, and his parents spoiled him rotten. Unfortunately, that combination had given him a bad case of lack-of-manners. Usually his comments were directed at people with less money than him (almost anyone at the school, me included), or anyone who he considered a freak (again, myself included).

As if to prove my point, the piped up again: “Fucking this redheaded freak. That’s disgusting, and I thought it would be even below your standards! Or are you doing it for the money?” I had to grit my teeth hard to keep from reacting to his taunting. “Well, I always thought you’d sell that bony little ass at some point. But Eustass doesn’t appear to be able to even afford a shirt, so I guess you’re really cheap, too?”

I was done listening. I was done behaving or not starting a fight. Red-hot anger had taken control over me. Shaking with barely-suppressed rage, I took a deep breath. _Don’t punch him_ , I reminded myself, before I put on my best seductive smile instead: “Well, since you seem to be so damn interested in my _bony little ass_ , maybe you should name me a price?”

That froze the guy in his tracks for a second, but he was quick to recover – unfortunately. He smirked, clearly thinking he had won. “As if I’d pay to fuck some dirty little slut like you!”, he spat. My smile widened, turning into an icy grin: “Your bad. Kid’s not sharing me anyway, so…”

With those words, I turned around and waltzed out of the building for a much-needed cigarette. It hadn’t been my brightest moment, but in the end it was still better than punching the guy in the face. Getting tangled in another fight was very low on my priority list at the moment.

Still, the fact that the rumour of me sleeping with Kid had spread was almost comforting. I felt that it was a lot better if people talked about that. As long as they busied themselves with the trivial part of the story, I would be fine. Once they remembered about the fight in the _Moby Dick_ , and that someone died… Well, I wasn’t looking forward to the comments to _that_.

After the last lesson, I grabbed my stuff and began making my way to the exit. I had been one of the last people to leave the room, carefully sorting through my papers to keep the notes for Kid together in one place, so I could more easily bring them over to the hospital later. Looking forward to a relaxing cigarette, I sighed inwardly when I heard someone call my name.

Turning around, I met Nami’s eyes. The girl stood at her desk, watching me a little unsure. I waited. “I’m sorry about what Vivi said this morning.” I raised an eyebrow but elected not to say anything for the moment. Nami’s apology came rather unexpected, if I was honest. “She’s just hurt…”, she continued, but seemed to realise that it was a poor excuse for Vivi’s behaviour. “Look, I just wanted you to know that I don’t mind your being with Eustass. If that’s what you want, it’s your decision.”

My eyes widened a little in surprise at _that_. It was the first time someone had openly voiced their support for my situation and accepted me and Kid as an item. I was inexplicably touched by her words. “Thanks. It means a lot, really”, I offered with a small smile, and actually meant it. Nami gave me a bright grin and swung her bag over her shoulder, and actually beat me on the way to the door. “See you tomorrow, Law!”, she called and was gone.

I still smiled softly as I walked out of the building and off the school grounds. I had originally planned to go straight to Kid’s place and then to the hospital, but now decided to quickly drop by the _Logue Town_ again. Ideally I could buy bread on the way between the coffee shop and Kid’s flat.

Finishing my cigarette, I watched a tall, redheaded man come out of the door, smiling like an idiot, and with a prominent scar across his temple and eyes. The redhead laughed at something his companion, an even taller, grey-haired man said, and wandered down the street. There was something strange about the two men, but before I had a chance to take a closer look at them, they disappeared in the crowd. Flicking my cigarette out onto the street, I shrugged off the odd feeling that had taken a hold of me upon the sight of the two men and entered Shakky’s café.

Shakky greeted me warmly and immediately asked how school had gone. I tried to explain that I didn’t actually have enough time to talk with her and had just dropped by for a quick coffee and potentially the next supply run for the injured, but she would have none of it. “Tell me how they were. You won’t get out of this shop before I know I don’t need to send the boys over to your school and beat a few people into bloody pulps!”

I raised an eyebrow. I doubted that I wanted to know who _the boys_ were, and I certainly didn’t want to analyse too closely how serious Shakky was with her threat. “It was fine”, I tried to assure her: “There was one idiot who made a few comments, but he’s always been a jerk. All bark and no bite. Oh and one girl took it quite hard that I am now officially off the market, but I guess she will calm down eventually.”

Shakky nodded, but she still looked serious. “Did they talk about the events in the _Moby Dick_?”, she asked. “Not a word. My sexuality is apparently far more interesting…”, I replied with an eyeroll: “I’m fine, really.” While Shakky didn’t look one hundred percent convinced, she seemed to let go of the topic in favour of gathering a large paper bag from under the counter.

“I wanted to send Rayleigh with today’s food supply, but since you’re already here, would you mind making the delivery?” Taking the bag from her with a small nod, I opened it to take a look. Scandalised I turned back to Shakky: “They’ll better be grateful for this! I’ve never gotten your best for free, regardless of how abysmal my day had been!” She just laughed, and waved for me to get lost already.

 

After a detour past Kid’s flat, I entered the hospital room to Marco and Smoker arguing with the Whitebeard. As Rayleigh had predicted, the bar owner was not planning to stay in the hospital _for even one more minute_ and insisted that he was _just fine_ – _bit of sake and all would be well again_. I silently shook my head and handed Kid his part of the food before turning to face the arguing men.

“How about you all stop fighting? I guess all three of you need to stay here for a bit longer, so I don’t see the point in one of you leaving early”, I called over their raised voices. That, surprisingly, shut them up on the spot. After blinking at me a few times, Marco grinned up at Whitebeard, who just smirked. “You remind me of another reckless kid I once knew”, the bar owner laughed, but offered no further explanation. I raised an eyebrow, wondering if he would say anything else, but Whitebeard just shook his head, before turning his attention to the bag from _Logue Town_ I was still holding.

The food distracted the three men sufficiently enough that I could return my attention to my boyfriend. Kid was looking at me a little sheepishly, and asked: “You don’t happen to have any homework for me, right?” I laughed, and dropped a bag with papers, clothes and Kid’s laptop on his bed. “Want to go over the stuff now or wait until tomorrow when we have a bigger pile?”

Kid sighed. “Let’s wait until tomorrow. I can work on putting my application together tonight, and then we go over homework when you drop by tomorrow after-”, Kid said, but stopped himself in the middle of his sentence: “Hang on, you usually work on Tuesdays, don’t you?”

I nodded, giving him a small smile: “Yeah… but I will drop by, just a bit later, and only for a short bit. I need to report your status to Mike anyway, or Bethany will make all of our lives hell.” My boyfriend shuddered at the thought and let me leave for a few moments to talk to one of the nurses about his latest lab results.

When I returned to the room, Kid was already bent over his laptop, carefully drafting his application with his unbandage hand. I smiled, sitting down on the chair beside his bed and tried not to disturb him.

“You know you don’t need to come tomorrow if it’s too stressful for you”, Kid murmured softly without looking up from his work. “Don’t be stupid. I want to come”, I replied just as softly.

“Of course he has to come here!”, Marco shouted, making both Kid and me flinch in surprise. I looked up at the barkeeper, who grinned. “Someone has to keep up the food supply!” His comment was followed by affirmative mumbling from the other beds, and I couldn’t help but laugh at their antics.

 

When I was about to leave, Whitebeard shouted after me to bring sake the next day. I just rolled my eyes and waved goodbye over my shoulder. As if I had any saying in what Shakky packed for them anyway!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another one down. Just two more chapters and we have finally reached the end of December Fairytale.  
> As always, please let me know what you think about the chapter! I’m happy to babble back.  
> Anyone want to make a guess who the charming blond guy in school was?  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	42. January 10 - Boredom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re wrapping thinks up now. This is the last chapter of the regular story line  
> Enjoy!

_Kid’s POV_

 

Waiting for Law to show up that day was pure torture. There was only so much time you could spend on the internet without getting fed up with that, too, and by mid-afternoon I was bored out of my mind. I wanted to do something.

I had regained enough of my strength that I could wander into the park alone, and so I took frequent walks in the cold winter air. However, I still tired easily, and my walks were usually cut short due to my exhaustion. At least I could doze for a while after each walk, which made the day pass a little faster.

So far, there had been three outbursts of _I-want-to-get-out-of-here_ from Whitebeard, but that was pretty much the most exciting thing that had happened all day. I groaned and sunk deeper into the cushions. I was so _bored_!

Just as I decided to take another walk through the park, the door opened and Law walked in. His nose and the top of his ears were reddened from the cold outside and he was rubbing his hands together to warm up his freezing fingers. Marco, Smoker, and Whitebeard simultaneously turned their heads at the sound of the opening door and looked at Law expectantly. With a fond smile, Law dropped his bad on the chair beside my bed and retrieved a paper bag. Apparently Shakky had made it her mission to supply us all with something edible for the entire time we were stuck in hospital.

Next, Law pulled a stack of paper from his bag and placed it on top of the previous day’s homework. I took the opportunity to take a closer look at him. He looked better than on Sunday morning, but the bags under his eyes remained a little darker than was usual and I gave him a worried frown.

Smiling, he gave me a quick kiss. “I’m fine, Kid”, he reassured me. “How was school?” “Helmeppo had another outburst of creativity, but nothing worth worrying about. One day he’ll piss off the wrong guy and get his nose broken…” I nodded. So far I hadn’t had the misfortune to interact with Helmeppo, but I had overheard enough rumours about the guy to avoid him. From what I knew he was an obnoxious little shit who had never learned to stick to his own business.

“Let’s go to the cafeteria and get a coffee. It’s almost acceptable here, and we should find a free table where we can get started on that”, I said with a nod towards the pile of paper on my bedside table.

 

Law was carrying most of our stuff and got us a table while I went and bought two cups of coffee, which I then transported to the table with some difficulty. I had momentarily forgotten than I could hardly use my left hand... Sitting down beside my boyfriend, I smiled: “Feels a little like that time we were doing homework in _Logue Town_ …” Law laughed. “Feels like forever ago, doesn’t it?”

I nodded slowly: “Yeah…” It was hard to believe that only a month had passed since me and Law had sat in _Logue Town Café_ working on Chemistry and Physics exercises. With a grin I reached out and pulled Law into a kiss. Out of all the things that had changed since December first, this was the best of them all. That I could just reach out and kiss the hottest guy around? That was worth all the trouble we went through. Although I could have done without getting hospitalised, of course.

“I love you”, I murmured against Law’s lips, making him smile. “Love you, too.” I closed my eyes, pressing my forehead against his. For a moment I felt like time stopped and we were lost in our own little moment, our own little world. For just a few heartbeats, nothing but me and the man that made me so happy seemed to exist.

And then my beloved boyfriend decided that he had to get me back to reality by reminding me of our homework. "We need to finish these. Some of the exercises are due tomorrow and I need to take your solution sheet back with me”, Law explained, and upon seeing my dark frown, added with a lopsided smile: “Sorry…” I shook my head and bent over the first assignment he had handed me.

 

After working in silence for a moment, I looked up from my work. “So, Marco has mentioned he would like to throw a party once we’re all out of the hospital.” “Mmm…” “But it might take a while as they want to keep Whitebeard here for at least another week, and on bedrest for another two”, I added offhandedly. “Mhm…”

Looking up at my boyfriend I noted the absent gaze with which he was focusing his paper “And of course I want to dye my hair green before that too” “Mmhm” I snorted, making Law look up. “Were you listening to a single word I just said?”, I wanted to know with a small laugh. “Eh… Yes?”

“You do realise you agreed to me dyeing my hair green?” The look of pure horror on Law’s face made me burst out laughing. My boyfriend looked mildly annoyed at my behaviour, but I honestly couldn’t be bothered. I sobered a little, when I realised that Law’s absentness was probably a good indicator for how tired he was.

“You should go home, Law”, I murmured, taking his hand in mine and gently painted a pattern on his skin with my thumb. “I know you want to be there for me, and I’m not going to lie to you and pretend that I’m not bored out of my mind. But you still need to sleep!” Law sighed.

“You’re right I guess. I just wanted to see you…” Smiling, I kissed him softly: “I know, and I love you for it, but I truly believe that on days when you have school and work, you should probably let someone else do the food delivery and just go home and sleep.” My boyfriend sighed again but nodded. I knew he was a sensible guy – at least most of the time.

“Let’s just finish these exercises, then I’ll head home”, Law mumbled. Then he yawned and turned a little pink. God, he was adorable.

 

After Law had left and I was back in my hospital bed, staring at the ceiling and half-listening to Marco bicker with Whitebeard, I wondered how I had gotten so lucky. One year earlier, nothing in my life had made sense. The morning of December first I hadn’t known I was about to meet the person that would turn my entire world upside down. On New Year’s Eve I couldn’t have dreamed of ending up in hospital because of my former best friend.

Now? Now I had the most wonderful boyfriend anyone could hope for. I had met Rayleigh and Shakky, gotten to know Marco, Whitebeard, and Smoker.

And most important of all, I was finally, truly happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter is rather short, but let’s be real – when you’re stuck in a hospital bed, there’s just not much happening!  
> Also, yes, the idiot at Law’s school was Helmeppo. I honestly hated the guy before he teamed up with Coby, and even then he never made it to my list of favourite characters, so… there…  
> Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!


	43. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok. This is it. The last chapter of December Fairytale is finally here!  
> It was originally planned to be in Kid’s POV because in the original version I had long since given up on proper POV switch, but that didn’t feel right for this version, so… What to do? Have Kid’s POV twice in a row? Didn’t feel right. Law’s POV didn’t feel right either. The result is a third-person POV, which also works to give you the most of what happened after chapter 42.  
> Oh yeah, and it plays roughly two weeks, maybe a bit more, after chapter 42, too.  
> Enjoy!

Whitebeard's continuous and loud declarations that he didn’t require bed rest had lead his doctors (secretly supported by Marco) to decide that he should stay in hospital a little longer than originally planned, so that the nurses could keep an eye on him.

The old bar owner was less than thrilled, but thanks to Law, Kid, the entire staff of the _Moby Dick_ as, well as Shakky and Rayleigh dropping by regularly and supplying him with food (and sake), he managed to stay put and heal properly. He would keep a nasty scar from the bullet, but when Kid had wondered whether he minded, the man had just laughed.

The bullet was by far not the first thing to leave a mark on the old man’s skin, and he couldn’t care less. His dismissive way of talking about scars helped Kid coming to terms with his own mark. He still struggled to look at the cut sometimes, not because he was vain, but simply because the scar stood for the end of a friendship. And not just any end, Kid had thought, but a blazing fire consuming and tainting any and all good memories he may still have had of Killer.

It wasn’t easy. Killer turning against him originally hadn’t been pleasant, but once Kid had had managed to put some distance and time between them, he had at least been able to remember their friendship fondly. Now? He doubted that he could ever think back to his childhood friend and not be filled with anger and pain.

 

Whitebeard was at last released from hospital on the same day Kid returned to school for the first time again. It was a Friday, and Kid grumbled the entire way to school why he had to come back on a _Friday_ of all days, it was almost the weekend, damnit, Monday would have been early enough.

Law just laughed and held out a cigarette for his boyfriend. They were walking towards the school building together, coffees in hand. “Have you heard back from the bike shop?”, Law asked, just before they walked onto the school grounds. Kid nodded: “Yeah, they wanted to see me earlier this week, but I was still on sick leave, so I’m going over there on Monday.”

Law looked at him disbelievngly: “And you didn’t _tell_ me?” The redhead had the decency to look a little sheepish. “I wanted to surprise you, but only once I had the signed contract in my hands.” His words made Law smile and reach for his hand.

“You ready for this?”, Law asked, when he became aware of the looks they were already gathering from the other students. And they hadn’t even passed the door. “I couldn’t care less. As long as you’re with me, I can take on the world!” “Oh god, you’re such a sap!”, Law laughed, heading into the building.

People had calmed down a little after the initial wave of gossip. Of course, the students eventually realised that the reason for Kid’s absence must have been connected to the fight in a more direct way than they had originally assumed. Fortunately enough, though, they had left Law alone about it.

When the two men settled in the back of the classroom that Friday morning, they earned a few glances, but nothing more. For Kid, it was a crass difference to what he had lived through at his old school, and he only managed to relax after the second lesson was almost over.

No one minded them leaning a little closer together than absolutely necessary during exercises. No one treated them any different than they would have any other couple. That did, however, include the usual comments of _get a room already!_ Even Vivi, who had initially reacted poorly to Law coming out offered the two a small smile when she watched Law lean his head against Kid’s shoulder during break time.

 

Of course, Helmeppo, the one guy who seemed to take offence in their relationship, had to come up with a stupid comment during lunch. Mentioning to Kid that Law was a cheap slut, however, was not a particularly wise course of action. The redhead’s patience ran far thinner than Law’s on the best of days, and his temper tended to be more violent, too – especially after having been chained to a bed for what felt like eternity to Kid.

Helmeppo ended up in the nursery with a broken nose and a massive bruise on his cheek. When questioned, not a single of the witnessing students had seen a thing, and while it was obvious that either Kid or Law must have thrown the punch, the teachers couldn’t prove it.

“Looks like he’s been getting on everybody’s nerves”, Law noted when they stood outside smoking shortly after the incident. Watching Kid landing a solid fist on the other’s nose had been surprisingly satisfying. Kid absently inspected his knuckles. “My hand still hurts”, he eventually muttured: “His nose must be made of steel!”

“You were probably not the first one to break it, then.”

 

Later the same day, Law was standing in Kid’s bedroom and looked at his boyfriend with fond exhasperation. “Kid, we need to get ready, like _now!_ ”

In response, Kid just stretched on the bed, showing off a lot of skin and Law felt the urge to return to the bed. However, Kid had already delayed them by a good forty-five minutes, and if he gave Law yet another hickey he would have to change his entire outfit. As if reading his thoughts, Kid pushed himself up into a sitting position, giving Law a wolfish grin. “I’m sure we still have some time…”

 

Another thirty minutes went past withouth any progress being made towards leaving. Law was laughing when he finally managed to untangle himself from his boyfriend and escape from the bedroom. His shirt was rumpled beyond hope and he needed another shower. Kid strolled out onto the corridor, looking entirely too satisfied with himself. Law was rumaging through a big duffle bag that had ended up in Kid’s flat the day the redhead had returned from hospital. Law had spent so much time at Kid’s place, he simply needed a few extra clothes.

“I actually feel a little sorry about the shirt”, Kid offered, and earned himself a withering glare from Law. “You know exactly how long it takes me to figure out an outfit and now I need to start from scratch! And I don’t even know what kind of party we are going to!”, Law snapped before disappearing into the bathroom and slamming the door in Kid’s face.

Due to that, he missed the calculating glint in Kid’s eye. Unlike Law, Kid had been present when Marco had drafted the guest list for the private party at the _Moby Dick_ and knew that he had actually done Law a favour by rumpling that shirt. He was rather convinced that Law didn’t want to wear that particular piece of clothing when certain people were around…

Kid had gone to great lengths to keep his boyfriend in the dark about the guest list for the evening, and he wasn’t planning to offer an explanation for his behaviour now. Plus, he didn’t actually need an excuse to blow his boyfriend’s brains out anyway.

 

The sign at the _Moby Dick_ ’s front door clearly stated _close_ , but the bouncer leaning against the wall beside the entrance quickly motioned for them to get in.

The club was less dark than usual and mostly empty. Law immediately made a beeline for the bar, hoping to get a drink into his hand before he started to look around. The twinklng in Marco’s eyes, however, made him stop in his tracks.

The blond barkeeper was leaning against the front of the bar, still not cleared for work, and therefore free to enjoy an evening off. Izou stood behind the counter, cackling manically at something Marco must have said, and Law turned towards the room with growing trepidation. He froze when he realised just who was mingling around the booths and chairs surrounding the dance floor. His _mother_ was chatting with Shakky and Whitebeard, and Rayleigh leaned against the wall a few steps away.

Having both Rayleigh and Whitebeard in one room together was slightly staggering. Law assumed that he only felt comfortable because he had made more food delivery trips than all of the others combined and had gotten to know Whitebeard in the process. For someone who knew neither man, their presence must have been nearly suffocating. Still, Law mused, he definitely needed a Whiskey now. But would he even be able to drink with his mother just a few steps away? He was almost sure that somewhere in the universe there was a rule against drinking heavily in your mother’s presence…

He heard Kid snicker behind himself. Without moving from where he was standing, he spoke over his shoulder: “You knew, didn’t you? Tell me Kid, exactly _who_ did Marco put on the invitation list?” Kid’s laughter sounded through the room, and from the corner of his eye, Law saw a few people turn their heads into their direction. “Oh just my whole family; Annie excluded of course. She’s with Nanna. Your mum, Shakky and Rayleight, a few guys from the _Red Force_ – rumour has it the owner is back in town and is an old aquitanance of Whitebeard’s – and I guess a few people from school will show up, too.”

“They invited our families. Really…” Law asked lamely, trying to come to terms with the fact that his mother was currently in the same club as him.

“Whitebeard likes her, I think”, Smoker said, suddenly appearing beside the couple, arm still in a sling: “Which means she is family. Though from what I heard through the grape wine, she’s been family for a long time anyway, even if none of us realised.” At the mention of family, Law paled a little. The _Moby Dick_ family included the entire staff and whoever else the crew deemed worthy to become part of their peculiar group. “Kid. If I faint, please carry me to the bar and pour a Whiskey down my throat. I don’t think I’ll survive this while sober.”

Laughing, Kid steered his boyfriend towards the bar and pushed him onto one of the chairs. All the furniture had been replaced, and Kid couldn’t make out the slightest traces of the fight that had nearly cost Whitebeard’s life. Shaking his head slightly, the redhead turned towards Izou.

“A double Whiskey and a Bloody Mary if you would be so kind”, he called to the barkeeper before leaning against the counter and looking out over the dancefloor. Kathrine and his father were swaying gently to the beat, lost in their own world. Mike and Carl were obviously far too drunk already, Kid noticed, but couldn’t find it in himself to be angry. He felt a fond smile tug on his lips. How long had it been since his family had just taken a night off to relax and decompress?

For the moment, Law was clutching his glass like a life line while he let his gaze wander through the room. The overwhealming majority of the guests were the more or less regular staff of the club, but there were also a few unfamiliar faces Law had never seen before. Was that one guy really wearing a bright orange hat?

Shaking his head slightly, Law downed half of his Whiskey in one go and turned to Kid. “Those were the surprises for the evening now, though, right?”, he asked. The mix of guests, family, and staff were mingling happily, and although he still felt a little unsettled, Law was happy his mother had gotten a night out. If he was honest, he couldn’t remember the last time his mother had taken an evening off just to enjoy herself.

Kid just opened his mouth in an attempt to explain to his boyfriend that honestly, there were a few more people bound to show up when Ivankov and Inazuma appeared in Law’s line of sight. Kid reacted quickly, picking the glass from Law’s numb fingers before he could drop it on the floor. Law began to look a little green, and Kid wondered whether it had been such a good idea to keep the invitation list from him.

“Trafalgar Law! Kid! Good to see you!”, Ivankov greeted the two in their usual loud way. Their voice immediately attracted the attention of Shakky and Laetitia who had been engrossed in their own pivate conversation for the past few minutes. Law’s mother turned a questioning glance to Shakky, who replied with a small smirk and an offhanded comment.

“I have to admit, though, Law, I’m a little insulted!”, Inazuma suddenly spoke up: “I would have thought you’d wear one of our shirts for tonight’s occation.” Law, his eyes still focused on his mother, who had started to make her way over to them, nearly chocked on air at the offhanded remark. A quick glance to Kid revealed that his boyfriend was giving him his best shit-eating grin and there was just no way Law would ever admit to Inazuma or Ivankov exactly why he wasn’t wearing any clothes from _Momoiro_.

Also, he realised absently, Kid may have done him a favour by rumpling the shirt earlier. Law was rather sure he would have died from embarassment had his mother caught him in the thing. It’s not that he dislikes the cut or anything, he did buy the shirt after all, but…

Speaking of his mother, she had just reached the bar and was giving Law an expectant look. Right, introductions. With a small smile, he put his arm around her shoulder, looking up at Ivankov. “Ivankov, Inazuma, this is my mother, Laetitia Trafalgar. Mum, these are the owners of _Momoiro_.” His mother positively beamed at the pair, and Law was painfully reminded of the fact that she wanted to see the women’s selection at Ivankov’s shop.

As if picking up on her son’s thoughts, Laetitia smiled: “I’m not sure whether Law mentioned it, but I’m really fascinated by the clothes he bought at your shop. And I wondered…” However, before Law’s mother could finish her sentence, the door of the Moby Dick had opened again. Whitebeard, Shakky, and Rayleigh simultaneously snapped their heads up and fixed the new arrvials with an indecifferable look. Law turned his head to follow their line of sight.

Two men stood in the door of the Moby Dick. A grinning redhead with a prominent scar across his face, and, half a step behind him, a tall guy with greying hair and piercing eyes. Law vaguely remembered them, and was just beginning to wonder where he may have seen the two before, when his mother let out a scream and practically flew across the room, only to be caught in a one-armed hug by the red-haired man.

Law watched, slightly baffled, as his mother burrowed her face against the man’s shoulder, hugging him tightly. The other man just smiled softly at the display, before meeting Rayleigh’s eyes acrross the room, giving a curt not. He then bent town, said something to his companion, and began to gently untangle Laetitia from the redhead. However, that only lead to him being caught in a fierce hug, making him laugh.

Law looked from Kid to Shakky to Rayleigh and back, and when he received no reaction or explanation from any of them, threw his hands in the air and turned back towards the bar. He no longer cared if the universe had a rule against drinking in your mother’s presence. The night had gotten so weird, he was sure that even if such a rule should exist, it must have been temporarily suspended anyway to accommodate for the overall strangeness going around.

Kid, leaning against the bar, raised an eyebrow at Law’s dark expression. He watched as the two new arrivals with Laetitia in tow made their way over to Whitebeard. It was quite obvious that the three knew each other, and also knew Shakky, Rayleigh, and Whitebeard, but Kid could not for the life of him fathom how that may have come to happen.

“Since you know who was on that guest list”, Law started: “Do you also happen to know who these two are?” “Will you hit me if I say yes?”, Kid replied over the rim of his glass, not meeting Law’s eyes and instead opting to watch Whitebeard nearly knocking the redheaded man off his feet when he patted him on the shoulder in greeting. “No!”, Law snapped irritatedly. When Kid remained silent, he added, grumbling: “I really won’t.”

Kid carefully placed his now-empty glass on the bar and waved for Izou to get him a refill. “I’m not sure, but from the photo that hangs in the _Red Force_ and Marco’s guest list, I’d reckon those are Shanks Akagami and Ben Beckman. The redhead, Shanks, owns the _Force_.”

Law desperately wished that would have told him anything useful. “Shanks has been out of town for years”, Kid continued: “One of his men, Yasopp, has been leading the club in his name for as long as I’ve been going there.” Again, that wasn’t helpful information, but Law was quite sure that his boyfriend didn’t know more than he had just shared, either.

Emptying his Whiskey, Law pushed himself off the bar. “Let’s go see if anyone is willing to introduce us”, he said. Without waiting to see whether Kid would follow, he made his way back to the table his mother was standing at between Shanks and Ben. He tapped her lightly on the shoulder. When she turned to see who it was, she immediately pulled him into a hug with a happy smile. Blinking a little owlyshly, he hugged his mother back and met Shakky’s eyes. The woman was smiling, then she nodded in Shanks’ direction: “We all know each other from the old days, back when Laetitia was still in university.”

Sudden understanding dawned in Law’s eyes and the pieces of a puzzle he hadn’t even been aware off until that moment clicked into place and formed a complete picture. He smiled down at his mother, who was leaning away from him to look at Shanks, finally realising that she should probably introduce her son.

 

It was getting close to midnight when Law and Kid once more found themselves at the bar. Kid had switched from his Bloody Mary to soda somewhen during the evening, but Law, who had admittedly a little more to come to terms with, was absently turning another Whiskey between his fingers.

Wrapping his arms around Law, Kid placed his chin on his boyfriend’s shoulder. “Have you recovered from the shock yet?”, he asked, earning himself a soft punch. Laughing, Kid simpy tightened his grip: “At least your mother doesn’t embarrass you!”

Looking up from his glass, Law found Kid’s brothers dancing in the most horrible fashion he’d ever seen, while Katherine had to lean against a table to steady herself in order not to fall over from laughing so hard. Kid’s father was sitting in one of the booths, staring slightly unfocused at a spot on the wall opposite. Law smirked.

“You know I’ll never let you forget this, don’t you?”, he asked, teasinly. Kid chuckled, even if he sounded a little pained. “Guess so. But if that means you’ll remind me of it for the rest of my life, I’ll gladly suffer your teasing.”

“Sap!”, Law said with a smile, kissing his boyfriends cheek: “I love you.”

“And I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curtain Call for December Fairytale!  
> Cheesy, cliché ending because I can, and because this was supposed to be a short and fluffy story that ran away from me. Twice.  
> Thank you all for reading, reviewing, and leaving Kudos!  
> I’m truly sorry this took so long to finish, but at last, we have reached the end and I’m quite happy with the way this rewrite turned out. It is with a laughing and a crying eye that I see it come to an end. I put a lot of effort, love, and soul into this rewrite, and I hope some of you liked this story as much as I do.
> 
> One last time, please let me know your thoughts.  
> As always, Kudos make a happy author. Reviews are love!

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked my writing, here’s what I’m cooking up at the moment:
> 
> By now, I have four more big story projects in the pipe, but all of them will take a little more time before I can start uploading. These are the stories I’m currently drafting & writing:
> 
> One Piece: Hyla Arborea – It Started with a Tree Frog (Kid/Law, Nami/Vivi, Killer/Penguin; modern!AU epos that will take forever to write. What am I thinking? What is life, sleep?! Story board draft currently says 23 chapters and counting)  
> Yu-Gi-OH! Duel Monsters: Mirror’s Reflection (a dark, Yuugi-centric; post DM story which will take me to the darker parts of my own twisted minds. Story board has 20 chapters and counting)  
> Final Fantasy XII: The Importance of Names (Balthier/Penelo; post game(s) story, 12 chapters incl. prologue / epilogue)  
> Jak & Daxter: This is War (Torn/Ashelin; a story that spans decades, 14 chapters and counting)
> 
> A little further into the future:  
> One Piece: I’ve got your back (Kid/Law; set after Saboady, canon divergence)  
> Beyblade: Reunion (Tala/Max; a crack two to four chapter story, because fandom-nostalgia is a thing I suffer from)  
> Star Wars: The Three Lives of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Obi-Wan centric tragedy in three parts)
> 
> So maybe, if you keep hanging around, we might see each other again!


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